Redick hopes return of Lakers brings 'some joy' amid L.A.'s fire crisis - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — With the Lakers about to play their first game after a six-day layoff due to the Southern California wildfires, their coach, JJ Redick, took a moment to focus on something he hoped could be gained after so much has been lost.

«I think a group functions best when you draw strength from each other,» said Redick, whose home was one of the thousands lost to the fires in the past week. «Then it's our job to go give strength, and give hope and give joy. Sports are a lot of things, and sports can certainly provide an escape and a distraction, and hopefully sports, and tonight, can provide some joy as well.»

The Lakers worked with the NBA, county officials and the San Antonio Spurs to hold Monday's game as scheduled, announcing the franchise would be dedicating the game to the L.A. community and the first responders who have worked to provide relief from the fires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures across 40,000 acres of charred land.

«Sports really work well when the team, the organization has a connection to the city and the fans feel a connection to the team,» Redick said. «And then it just flows in some sort of eternal circle of that. The Lakers have that with the city of Los Angeles. Having played here before and lived here, I'm well aware of that relationship. And part of the reason I wanted to coach here was to participate in that.»

The Lakers banded together with all of L.A.'s professional sports teams to pledge more than $8 million toward local relief efforts, and the team started a donation drive Monday that it will continue through Saturday to collect essential personal items and nonperishable food items at home games at Crypto.com Arena and at the team's