JJ Redick’s debut season as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers was marked by personal tragedy last year, when a wildfire tore through the Pacific Palisades and destroyed the home where his family had been living.
One year after the incident, Redick reflected publicly on the toll the disaster took on him and his family.
JJ Redick Says His Wife Chelsea Most Affected in His Family By Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire ignited in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles County on Jan. 7, 2025, and continued to devastate surrounding areas for nearly a month before being fully contained on Jan. 31. Ranked as the 10th-deadliest and third-most destructive wildfire in California history, the blaze claimed 12 lives and destroyed close to 7,000 structures.
Speaking with The Athletic, the Lakers coach described what his family endured as the fire unfolded.
“I think for a long time, Chelsea, she wore it the hardest,” Redick said. “And she’s a mom, and what do moms want? They want to nest.
“They want to have a bed for their kids, and they want to have stuff up on the walls that show that this is where we live and this is where our family plays Rummikub together and watches stupid Netflix kid shows together. Like the disruption of that.”
Despite the hardship his family faced, Redick took steps to help rebuild the community, beginning with the local recreation center before expanding efforts to public facilities throughout Southern California. While the immediate focus remains on the Palisades, the long-term vision is to develop a model for restoring communities across the greater Los Angeles area.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, the Redick family has moved between hotels and rental properties since the fire.
Redick’s family was not the only one within NBA circles affected by the disaster. Members of both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers organizations were directly impacted, including Kawhi Leonard, who missed a game last season to be with his family after they were forced to evacuate their Pacific Palisades home.
Steve Kerr’s mother was also evacuated, while Luke Loucks, an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings and a former Golden State Warriors staff member from 2016 to 2022, revealed that his brother’s family home had been completely destroyed by the wildfire.
Player development coach Everett Dayton, who grew up in the area, also shared that his family lost their home in the fire.
