“It was difficult, but we did the best that we could,” a fireman, Robbie Porter who bravely assisted the fire squad during the LA fire said. Homes crumbled to ashes, families displaced in an instant, it was a heartbreaking time. Chad Lowe, Tyra Banks, and so many people lost their homes. And some sadly lost their lives. And the firefighters worked day and night to bring the flames in control and save lives. Shaquille O’Neal and the TNT crew finally had the moment while in San Francisco to honor the brave warriors.

Just ahead of the All Stars, the TNT crew took the chance to invite the fire squad and shine the spotlight on them. The host Ernie Johnson urged Lieutenant Mariano Elias to share the experience with the viewers. Due to the climate of the place, and the Santa Ana winds, the region is highly prone to wildfires. Kenny The Jet Smith who is a Southern California resident also requested them to share what are the precautions any family and home owner must take during these situations.

Speaking to the team, the 4x NBA champ too shared a few words of praise to them. “Yes, I don’t have any questions. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, people look at sports figures as heroes, but I’ve always said firemen, military, and law enforcement guys are heroes. We appreciate your effort, and I hope none of you guys or girls got hurt.” “And I love you guys, and I appreciate you guys. You guys are underpaid, trust me, underpaid,” O’Neal said.

When Johnson Porter of the experience, he said, “It was devastating once the destruction started to get rolling. Seeing what happened and trying to, you know, get a hold on the flames and seeing what was going on, it was very difficult. We take every call personally, no matter if we’re in our own city or we’re outside of our city.” 

The Big Aristotle has always praised the people who work so hard for the community. Fear has no place in their boots. It’s heartwarming how the TNT Crew used their platform to pay tribute to these heroes without capes and encourage their work. The affected people lost so much. The Lakers head Coach was in tears when he saw his house devastated.

JJ Redick emotionally detailed the pain of losing home to the fire

On Jan. 7, more than two wildfires began and quickly spread to Southern California. Huge devastation was caused by the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire. The Palisades was the largest of all. On January 7, Lakers head coach JJ Redick detailed that he had to evacuate his house immediately because of the fire.

On Jan. 10, he opened up about the loss of the house that carried so many memories for him and his family. “Everything we owned that was of any importance to us, almost 20 years together as a couple and 10 years of parenting, was in that house. There’s certain things that you can’t replace, that will never be replaced,” he said. 

Nearly 12,000 structures were damaged in the fire and recovery efforts are in progress. Luka Dončić, who recently joined the Los Angeles Lakers after the trade, also expressed his decision to contribute to the cause. “It’s been so sad to see and learn more about the damage from the wildfires since I landed in L.A. I can’t believe and I feel for all the kids who lost their homes, schools, and the places where they used to play with their friends,” the player wrote. 

“Today, my foundation is donating $500,000 to immediate recovery efforts. I am also committed to helping rebuild courts, playgrounds, and fields that were destroyed, because every kid needs a safe place to play,” he added. The people of Southern California are rebuilding their homes and hopes.