Stever Kerr’s mother, Ann Kerr, lost her house in Pacific Palisades. J.J. Redick described the state of his home as “complete devastation and destruction.” The devastating Eaton fires took away lives, homes, livelihoods, and, for some, their sense of safety.  But on April 9, the actions of a certain 6-foot-9 ex-baller helped the children affected have their focus shifted. If only for a moment. 

The former Lakers legend, Magic Johnson, shared a fun time playing Jenga and pop-a-shot with nearly 100 kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena. While many of his stature may have taken the financial route, Johnson gave the kids an avenue to feel like children again. And in a moment of tragedy, he brought smiles across faces that desperately needed it.

Johnson teamed up with the Cigna Group to visit the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena. Through this initiative, the Lakers legend spent time with nearly 100 kids who were affected by the fires in Altadena and Pasadena.

The 65-year-old shared a clip on Instagram yesterday, highlighting his and the Cigna Group’s efforts to retain some sort of normalcy for kids affected by the wildfires. The clip features kids enjoying their time playing with hula hoops and Jenga. Johnson proudly boasted about both winning and losing at pop-a-shot with the kids. Johnson’s caption also highlighted the role Cigna Group CEO David Cordani played in making it all happen.

This isn’t the first time that Magic and The Cigna Group have collaborated toward making a change. In 2020, Johnson, the CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, and the healthcare and insurance giant Cigna teamed up. Their agenda was to uplift minority and women-owned small-to-mid-sized businesses. 5 years down the line, the two have joined forces again to now bring smiles to the kids of Pasadena.

“Today I got to see kids that needed a safe place to go following a devastating loss have a day of fun and smile. I’m grateful the Boys and Girls Club is still doing important work and supporting the community during this difficult time. I’m blessed and grateful to God that I’m in a position to bless others in need!” the Los Angeles Lakers legend wrote in his caption.

He also ensured that the children had a meal. They even had Fatburger for lunch. At the end of the day, Johnson sent dinner from Wings and Waffles to the kids’ families. The organizers distributed Lakers swag bags and Dodgers backpacks during the event, too. The Los Angeles Dodgers also made a significant donation to help the kids.

In January, Governor Gavin Newsom announced an initiative to help rebuilding efforts in Southern California. The initiative was kicked off with a $100 million commitment from the LA Dodgers leadership. Other notable members enlisted to the project are Casey Wasserman and the gentle giant, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Born in Michigan, made in Los Angeles- for Magic, LA’s struggles are his own. And from the looks of it, he’s doing everything in his power to bring things to the way they were.

But it wasn’t just a basketball legend that contributed to the relief. A baseball icon stepped in to make their presence felt.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani stepped up with a kind gesture

The LA Dodgers’ mega star, Shohei Ohtani, is making waves on and off the field for all the right reasons. Nine days after the fires caused havoc in L.A. in January, Ohtani was quick to make a $500,000 donation to the firefighters who battled the blaze to save lives. “Our hearts go out to all the firefighters who continue to fight for us during the fires in LA. The Los Angeles Dodgers are also working together with teams from other competitions to help sell T-shirts and more. I hope you all will consider this. I hope you recover soon,” he wrote on Instagram. 

The man who holds a $700 million contract with the Dodgers also propped up his team’s initiatives. In January, Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, and Ben Casparius visited the Fire Station 69 in Pacific Palisades to thank the firefighters. A move that surely represents solidarity with the first responders in California.

Ohtani’s teammate, Freddie Freema, and his family also donated $300,000, which was sent to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Pasadena Fire Department, and the Salvation Army. The city’s plight has urged LA athletes (current and former) to gear up in the fight that is rebuilding major chunks of the state from the ground up. 

They’ve helped spur countless comebacks on the court. This time, the real comeback is far bigger in magnitude. However, impossible is nothing. And that’s the attitude LA legends Magic and Ohtani have adopted in their bid to contribute.