The forest fires that continue Wreaking havoc in the Los Angeles area, LeBron James and his family were forced to leave their home.
The fourfold NBA champion has confirmed to reporters that he has temporarily moved into a hotel, which makes him feel ‘not well’. James also opened up about his emotional state when he heard that some of his friends had lost their homes.
“There have been a lot of emotions,” James said during a news conference. “I have some dear friends who lost their homes in the Palisades. Obviously my heart goes out to all the families throughout the (Pacific) Palisades, but also throughout LA County and all the surrounding areas because of the fire and things like that. There are a lot of emotions.
“Personally, I’ve been away,” he added. “Personally, my family, we have been evacuated since Thursday evening. So I’ve been in a hotel since about the time we got back from Dallas. So we just have to figure it out. But stay strong for each other. That’s the most important thing.”
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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game against the San Antonio Spurs on January 13, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
James spoke after the Lakers’ 117-108 victory over the Miami heat Wednesday. James, 40, finished the game with 22 points and nine assists.
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This isn’t the first time the James family has been evacuated due to fire. In 2019, the family left their home after wildfires broke out near the Getty Center in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. James lives in Brentwood.
James gave updates on his social media feed at the time. He talked about some of the differences between what his family went through more than five years ago and what they are dealing with now.
LeBron James (6) of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a photo with his family at the end of a game, (L-R) Bronny James, Bryce James, Zhuri James Savannah James and Gloria James at Crypto.com Arena February 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Harry Hoe/Getty Images)
“We had that experience and were able to lean on that a little bit,” James said. “The difference between ’19 and today, that of ’19, was in the middle of the night, so we had to get going right away. We had a little bit more time before we had to evacuate, so we could get some things, grab some belongings or something whatever the case may be, buy a few things that meant things to us.
“But our house certainly hasn’t been touched since we left, but it’s still standing and we’re grateful for that. Hopefully it will stay standing. We’ll wait patiently to see when we get permission to possibly go back to it and be as one among our house.”
James said his position as a professional athlete comes with a responsibility to provide fans and the community with at least a brief respite from the situation people in the region are facing.
Residents try to escape a house fire in Pacific Palisades, California, January 8, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“It’s absolutely our job to know that we still have work to do,” James said. “We have to focus on our work, but also still be human beings and understand what real life is about. I hope that by putting us on the floor and (by) playing us the way we played tonight – not the way we played against San Antonio – but the way we played tonight and hopefully in the coming months or whatever it is, years , until the city gets back on its feet, that we as a Lakers franchise and the players who play for the Lakers feel a sense of hope and pride and excitement and things like that.
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“Sport has always given people the opportunity to temporarily forget what they have experienced. And because we’re such a big part of the LA community – along with a lot of other sports teams, but we know how important the Lakers are to the community, hopefully we can bring that to a lot of families.”
The NBA has postponed the Lakers’ home games on January 9 and 11 due to the wildfires. The lakers were inactive on thursday but will be back in action friday when they host the Brooklyn Nets.
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