“I was not prepared for what I saw. It’s complete devastation and destruction.” JJ Redick was left heartbroken when he saw the visuals of the Palisades in flames because of the ongoing LA Wildfires. It has been four days of utter suffering for the entire LA community. Unfortunately, JJ was among the thousands of people affected as his Pacific Palisades home burned down in the tragedy. And the Lakers head coach got emotional just talking about it during today’s team practice. Fortunately, Austin Reaves and fellow Lakers were there to console the retired sharpshooter.

Following his media availability session, Reaves headed straight to Redick and shared a warm hug with him, doing his part to help him through this difficult time. Then, the player-coach duo got into a lengthy conversation, likely about the awful situation. Even GM Rob Pelinka joined in to show his support.

Well, it’s great to see that the Lakers have Redick’s back as he deals with the loss of his precious home. Moreover, Austin Reaves revealed that he dropped a text to the head coach immediately after he found out about the tragic incident, “Reaching out to show him that not just me, but this team loves him and cares about him and his family.”

Obviously, JJ’s home meant a great deal to him, not because of how expensive it was, but because of the emotional value it held. And he talked about it while addressing the media, “Everything we owned that was of any importance to us almost twenty years together as a couple and ten years of parenting was in that house. And there are certain things that you can’t replace, that will never be replaced.”

Yes, Redick moved there recently with his wife, Chelsea, and the couple had rented the place for a year while they continued to look for a long-term home in LA. But the wildfires have taken away all priced possessions from them like their son’s charcoal pencil painting that he made as an art project, which the couple framed and hung on the wall. Redick even teared up thinking about the destruction the fire has caused, and he’s hoping for his on-court duties to help him cope with the tragedy.

JJ Redick wants to “Play Tomorrow” vs Spurs as part of his Healing Process

Of course, the NBA postponed Thursday’s Lakers vs Hornets game because of the wildfires. But with the city still fighting the wildfires, tomorrow’s Spurs encounter might also be in jeopardy. However, Redick is hoping for the game to take place as scheduled. “I want to play tomorrow. I wanna coach tomorrow. I want these guys to play tomorrow. And if we can play, we’ll play,” he shared.

Obviously, a lot will need to be taken into consideration for that to happen and JJ confirmed that the Lakers are working with the Spurs and the NBA to do what’s right, “We’re prepared for whatever tomorrow.” But maybe having a game in LA might not be such a bad idea because it could help the people take their minds off these awful last four days and forget their worries for a brief moment.

And JJ thinks it could do the same for him, “I do believe that for everybody that has been impacted by this, there is a grieving process. There’s a healing process. I can only speak for myself. Part of my healing and grieving process is being here with these guys coaching basketball.”

Meanwhile, Redick promised that the Lakers are committed to helping other affected people as much as they can. Do you think the NBA should let the Lakers and Spurs play tomorrow?