By the time J.J. Redick pulled up to what was once his family’s home in Pacific Palisades, the fire had already made its merciless choice.
A blackened skeleton of timber and ash stood where memories had lived, where laughter had echoed, where life had unfolded. It wasn’t just a house—it was the backdrop to his family’s story since Redick took over as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers last year. Now, it’s gone.
“Everything 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,” he said. His voice cracked as he recalled irreplaceable treasures: a charcoal pencil drawing by his son from their time in Brooklyn, a lighthouse sketched by small hands and framed with pride.
“You can’t ever replace stuff like that,” Redick whispered.
The California wildfires, with their fierce unpredictability, have a way of humbling even the most resilient among us. For Redick, resilience is no stranger—his life has been defined by adapting, adjusting, and persevering. But nothing could prepare him for the sight of complete devastation.
The fire didn’t wait for J.J. to return from the Lakers’ road trip. As flames crept toward the Palisades, his wife, Chelsea, sprang into action. She evacuated their children and nanny, found refuge in a hotel, and navigated the chaos that comes with losing the ground beneath your feet.
Redick landed in Los Angeles early Wednesday morning, too late to fight the flames but just in time to face the aftermath. With only a few hours of restless sleep, he drove into the heart of the wreckage, determined to bear witness to what remained.
The answer was simple: nothing.
“I headed up to the Palisades [on Wednesday morning] I just had to see it for myself,” Redick told reporters on Friday morning from the Lakers’ practice facility, his voice trembling under the weight of the loss. “I was not prepared for what I saw. It is complete devastation and destruction…it’s all gone, I don’t think you can prepare yourself for something like that. Our home is gone.”
The Palisades wasn’t just an address. For the Redicks, it had become a community—a word that rolled off J.J.’s tongue with reverence and sorrow.
“We move out here, and the Palisades community has just been so good to us. That’s the part we’re really struggling with—the loss of community,” said Redick with tears in his eyes. “The churches, the schools, the library…the rec center, it’s all gone.”
As Redick said, churches, schools, the library—all gone. Neighbors, colleagues, and friends—displaced. The fire didn’t discriminate, burning through lives and landscapes alike.
Redick wasn’t alone in his grief; several members of the Lakers staff, including Chief Legal Officer Daniel Grisby, general counsel Josh Green, and videographer Rohan Ali all lost their homes and their families homes. But the Lakers family is staying strong and is united together. Lakers superstar Anthony Davis donated $20,000 to Ali’s GoFundMe page, as did forward Jarred Vanderbilt.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also lost a piece of his past, as his childhood home was reduced to ash.
And yet, through the devastation, Redick found a flicker of determination.
Redick’s resolve was palpable as he addressed the deeper consequences of the wildfire. Yes, his family would rebuild. They had the means, the support, and the privilege to recover. But for others, the road ahead is steep, fraught with political hurdles and financial uncertainty.
“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me and my family. We’re going to be alright,” he said. “There are people who, because of insurance issues or financial struggles, aren’t going to be alright. We’re going to do everything we can to help anybody who’s down and out because of this.”
It was a promise forged in the embers of loss—a commitment to rise not just for his own family, but for a community that had embraced him in ways he never anticipated.
As of Friday, the Palisades fire had consumed over 20,000 acres, displacing thousands and claiming lives. Containment efforts remained at a precarious 8%, with strong winds threatening to spread the blaze further. For Redick and his family, the reality of rebuilding is still sinking in.
Sitting in a hotel room with Chelsea that night, Redick admitted he wept in a way he hadn’t in a long time. “I”m not sure I’ve wept or wailed like that in several years,” he said. “Not just for what we lost, but for what this means for so many families like ours.”
The road ahead will be long and uncertain. But as J.J. Redick leads the Lakers through a season of its own challenges, he will also lead his family—and his community—through the ashes of heartbreak. Because that’s what you do when the world burns down around you: You find a way to build something new, something that lasts, something that matters.
And maybe, just maybe, it’s through the fire that we discover what the word “home” truly, truly means.
For those looking to contribute, donations to several organizations that are on the front lines of providing help and relief to families and first responders are still being accepted. Every dollar counts as the city fights to recover from one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in its history.