Wembanyama And Paul Give Game-Worn Jerseys To J.J. Redick's Kids
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick and his family were among the thousands who saw their homes burn down after a series of fires destroyed swarths of Southern California.
"Everything that we owned that was of any importance to us in almost 20 years together as a couple and 10 years of parenting was in that house, Redick said last week before a team practice. "There are certain things that you can't replace, that will never be replaced."
Among those items was the growing basketball memorabilia collection of Redick's two young sons, Knox and Kai.
CP3 & Wemby give their game-worn jerseys to JJ Redick's two sons 🥹
— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2025
What a SPECIAL moment 🤍 pic.twitter.com/RlgmgByfRB
On Monday night, after the Lakers' first game since the fires started last week, the San Antonio Spurs' Chirs Paul and Victor Wembanyama helped Redick's boys out in restarting their collection by signing and giving them their game-worn jerseys.
“Chris is in that inner circle of brothers. He called me this afternoon and said ‘Vic and I are, whether you win or we win, we’re going to go over and give the boys [our] jerseys,” Redick said after the touching gesture.
Redick said Paul is "well aware that [his kids are] huge NBA fans."
"They had a huge collection of jerseys and cards and they lost all that. It was nice of them to do it. They now each have two." he added.
The Lakers are also trying to help the city heal in a more significant way. They have helped put together a donation drive outside Crypto.com Arena to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank's efforts, where fans could drop off food for people who have lost everything.
Meanwhile, U.S. swimmer Gary Hall Jr. left behind his 10 Olympic medals while fleeing the Los Angeles fires with his dog. The medals were destroyed in the blaze.
Former US Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr was at home in Pacific Palisades when he saw the wildfires from his house.
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) January 10, 2025
He describes how he had three minutes to escape, choosing to grab his dog and his medication, but deciding to leave his 10 medals. pic.twitter.com/n91UQEL7si
On Sunday, the International Olympic Committee said they would provide him with new medals.
"We are in full solidarity with the citizens of Los Angeles and full of admiration for the tireless work of the firefighters and the security forces," the IOC said in a statement. "Currently the full focus must be on the fight against the fires and the protection of the people and property.
Clemente Lisi is a writer and editor with nearly three decades of experience. You can follow him at x.com/ClementeLisi.