JJ Redick poured his heart out for the people of LA. Tonight, after a 6-day break, the Lakers finally returned to action amid the South California wildfire. Even though the franchise stood by the people of Los Angeles with their whole heart, the ongoing national tragedy was also a personal loss for the Lakers, as Coach JJ was also affected by it. The 40-year-old coach lost his family home to the fire. Speaking to the press ahead of tonight’s game, Redick emotionally expressed the significance of the Lakers’ return.

Over the last 6 days, it’s not for the city alone, but the entire nation carried a somber mood. Everyone put their energy and focus on the biggest national disaster. Amid this concerning situation, the Lakers would be doing a valuable service by bringing “joy” back to society, at least for a brief moment.

Speaking of it, JJ Redick said, “It’s our job to give strength, give hope, and give joy. Sports are a lot of things. Sports can certainly provide an escape, a distraction — and hopefully, sports and tonight can provide some joy,” at the presser ahead of the Spurs clash.

Moreover, Redick also addressed how this event will bring strength to the roster. The coach added, “I think the group functions better when you draw strength from each other. The way my players, my staff, the organization has supported… rallied around the city.” In fact, right after the league postponed the Hornets game, Redick was dying to get back on the floor for a reason.

The wildfire and the personal loss had taken a toll on Redick and he felt returning to action would get him going. Right before the league announced the postponement of the second game, he said, “Being here, for me, was great because it gave me something to look forward to.” 

Now that he has returned, we can expect special things from the star coach.

Will JJ Redick’s words spark championship fever?

As Redick said, sports bring joy, hope, and strength, but at the same time, they also act as a savior. And, there’s a great example of it too. Two decades ago, in 2005, America was hit by a nasty tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Basin called Hurricane Katrina. This powerful cyclone largely affected New Orleans, damaging the properties, displacing thousands of people, and killing more than 1000 people. It became one of the costliest tropical cyclones, causing damage of over $125 billion.

At that time, Superdome, the home of the New Orleans Saints, stood as shelter for many who lost their homes. Following the cyclone, the city quickly renovated the arena and made it game-ready. The next year, the Saints played their home game at the Superdome. Guess what? The people of New Orleans jam-packed the stadium and finally found a solid reason to celebrate after a long stretch of grief.

The home crowd’s infectious excitement transferred to the players, and they went on to win the Super Bowl in 2010. So, why don’t we expect the same to happen with the Lakers? Will the Lakers’ victory be a personal victory for Los Angeles? Let us know in the comments.