NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard has left the Los Angeles Clippers to be with family members forced to evacuate their homes as devastating wildfires tear through Los Angeles County.
The fires, made worse by powerful winds, have already claimed two lives and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
Leonard, 33, owns a stunning $17.1 million mansion in Pacific Palisades – one of the areas threatened by the rapidly spreading blazes. He bought the seven-bedroom home, which spans nearly 12,000 square feet, back in 2021.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Leonard’s return to basketball. He’d just made his season debut last week against the Atlanta Hawks after sitting out with knee problems.
He’s not the only NBA figure affected by the disaster.
Lakers coach JJ Redick shared his family’s scary situation with reporters on Tuesday.
“I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” Redick said. “Our family, my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister – they’ve all had to evacuate.”
The impact is being felt across the basketball community. Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed his 90-year-old mother Ann was among those forced to leave their homes.
“Everything I’m seeing and reading is just terrifying,” Kerr told reporters. One of his staff members, Everett Dayton, lost his childhood home to the flames.
“The game is secondary to that and to many things in life,” Kerr added. “Perspective is important.”
The fires have already destroyed thousands of structures and burned through vast areas of land. Officials are particularly concerned about high winds that could make the situation even more dangerous.
The Clippers are scheduled to play in Denver on Wednesday night, but they’ll be without their star forward as he helps his family navigate this crisis.
