Wildfires that continue to ravage the Los Angeles area have forced LeBron James and his family to leave their home.
The four-time NBA champion admitted to reporters that he was temporarily living in a hotel, which he said made him feel “sick.” James also opened up about how he felt when he learned that some of his friends had lost their homes.
“There were a lot of emotions,” James said in a press conference. “We have some dear friends who lost their homes in the Palisades. Of course, our hearts go out to all the families, not only in the (Pacific) Palisades, but throughout Los Angeles County and the surrounding areas.” There were a lot of emotions.
“Personally, I took a break,” he added. “Personally, my family, we've been evacuating since Thursday night. So we've been in the hotel pretty much the whole time since we got back from Dallas. So we're just thinking about what's going to happen. But for each other. Stay strong, of course, that is the most important thing.”
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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on January 13, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
James said Wednesday after the Lakers' 117-108 win over the Miami Heat. James, 40, finished the game with 22 points and nine assists.
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This is not the first time the James family has been evacuated due to fire. In 2019, a wildfire broke out near the Getty Center in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood, forcing the family to flee their home. James lives in Brentwood.
James provided his update social media feed at that time. He spoke about the difference between what his family went through more than five years ago and what they are battling now.
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (age 6) taking a photo with his family after the game, (left and right) Bronny James, Bryce James, Zuri James, Savannah James, Gloria James, Crypto.com Arena on February 7, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Harry Howe/Getty Images)
“We had that experience, so we could lean on that a little bit,” James said. “The difference between 2019 and today is that in 2019 it was midnight, so we had to leave right away. We had a little time before we evacuated, so we were able to evacuate a little bit.” Let's put things in, take possessions, whatever the case may be, let's get things that are meaningful to us.
“But our house definitely hasn't been touched in any way since the moment we left. But it's still standing and we're grateful for that. Hopefully it will be We hope that you will continue to remain, perhaps just patiently waiting for the time when you will be allowed to return to our homes.'' ”
James said his position as a professional athlete comes with a responsibility to provide his fans and community with at least a temporary respite from the situation facing people across the region.
Residents try to escape a house fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Teyfan Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“It's definitely our job to know that we still have work to do,” James said. “We had to focus on our job, but we also had to be human and understand what real life is about. I hope we play like we played, not the way we played.'' Sun It was against Antonio, but the way we played tonight, and hopefully for the next few months or years until the city gets back on its feet, and us as a Lakers franchise, playing the Lakers. The players there felt things like hope, pride, and excitement.
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“Sports has always given people the opportunity to temporarily forget what they've been through, and while we, like many other sports teams, are a big part of the L.A. community, we “The Lakers are about the community and we hope to be able to provide that for many families.” ”
The NBA postponed the Lakers' home games on January 9 and January 11 due to wildfires. The Lakers were inactive Thursday, but will resume action Friday when they host the Brooklyn Nets.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.