Russell Westbrook might have left LA last summer, but LA has not left his heart. After all, he is still that same kid from Long Beach, California. And it pains the former MVP to see his hometown in flames. Yes, Los Angeles is facing one of the worst recorded wildfires in history, affecting the lives of thousands of residents and business owners, including Russ. Amid these trying times, the Nuggets star had a powerful message for the people of LA to help them cope with the tragedy.

Following tonight’s win against the Clippers, Westbrook said, “My family is safe, but people that I know, close friends and family have lost their homes and everything. So, the last couple of days honestly man, just been praying so much for not just the people I know but for everyone.” Despite being from LA, Russ highlighted that he has never seen a wildfire of this scale in his life and expressed his gratitude toward the first responders and everyone trying to help.

However, Westbrook has complete faith in the City of Angels and its people to come out of this tragedy stronger, “Hopefully, we can get things in control. It’s gonna be a tough rebuild, but LA is very strong and we can stick together and make something happen.”

Although Russ’ family is safe, he has some business ventures in LA that might be at risk because of the wildfires.

Obviously, the streetwear fashion brand he started in 2017, Honor The Gift, has its flagship store in LA. It is a highly lucrative business, as it generated $5.7 million in revenue two years ago, according to Forbes. So, Russ understands how the other affected people must be feeling. Especially because they are helpless against nature’s wrath, “You know what, it’s tough man. It’s hard for me to sleep to be honest… That hurts me personally. Not being able to do nothing is difficult for me to be able to see and watch.” Moreover, the wildfires have also begun affecting Westbrook’s latest initiative.

Russell Westbrook’s Dream Project closes due to LA Wildfires as he reveals the “best thing” to do amid adversity

Apart from his fashion store, Westbrook also has a project in LA which is very close to his heart. Yes, the Westbrook Academy. His way of giving back to the LA community and making sure that every kid there gets the best opportunity to succeed. And the former MVP unveiled the academy’s newly expanded South Gate campus last September. “I’m LA to the core and I wanna represent LA everywhere I go… God has helped me with this opportunity and platform to do so and I wanna help as many people as possible.” He said at the time of the unveiling.

Turns out, the academy might have been affected by the wildfires, as Russ said during the postgame interview, “I’m not even sure what’s happening right now. My wife just texted me about school being closed again. There was another fire thing West Hollywood somewhere.” Even though it is unclear which school he was referring to, it is likely to be his own academy in LA.

Although he was feeling helpless just like everyone else, Westbrook knew exactly what he needed to do to play his part, “The best thing I can do, obviously this is my job, but go out and try to give people joy and inspiration by going out and playing the game as hard as I can… But also making sure I find ways to help any way I can.” Well, he did give maximum effort on the court and led the Nuggets to victory. Now hopefully, he will figure out more ways to help the people in his hometown.