In a statement on X, the NBA revealed the status of the Lakers and Clippers games scheduled for January 11th in Los Angeles. In response to the ongoing wildfire crisis in Southern California, the league has suspended both games which will now be played at a later date.
“The games scheduled for tomorrow between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena and between the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome have been postponed due to the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The date for the rescheduled games will be announced at a later time, wrote NBA Communications. “The NBA and the Clippers and Lakers organizations have been in communication with local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood about the ongoing situation in the Los Angeles area and the game postponements ensure no resources will be diverted from the wildfire response efforts.”
The NBA already postponed the Lakers game against the Hornets on Thursday but with the wildfire disaster still raging in the area, the league (in a mutual agreement with the teams) decided to hold off on any more games until the crisis is resolved. For their part, the NBA has also donated money to disaster relief efforts helping the survivors.
“The NBA and the NBAPA are donating one million dollars for immediate disaster relief to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, and other organizations to support those affected by this disaster and are working with the Lakers and Clippers on ways to support longer-term assistance and rebuilding efforts.”
The situation in Los Angeles is dire right now, to say the least. A series of massive wildfires have been devastating the area for days, leaving behind nothing but ashes as it passes through. More than 100,000 people have been forced from their homes and 11 have been reported dead. At least 10,00 properties have been destroyed with an estimated damage toll of over $11 billion.
As the city attempts to get ahead of this tragedy, the NBA doesn’t want their games to get in the way of the process or potentially risk the health and safety of their fans. So while it’s rare for the league to postpone their games, it was the right call in this case even if Lakers coach JJ Redick wanted to play.
The Lakers were supposed to play the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow at the Crypto.com arena and then again on Monday, January 13th. The Clippers, meanwhile, were slated to play the Charlotte Hornets at Inruit Dome. Both teams will now have the night completely off, which will allow those affected by the wildfires (like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard) to be with their families through this ordeal.
We don’t know the status of other games at this time, but that will likely depend on the situation in Los Angeles. If the city is in recovery mode by then, it might be the perfect environment for the Lakers and Clippers to resume their seasons. If not, we could see even more games get postponed if it means helping the city through this ordeal.
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