Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will reportedly take a step back from the team to be with his family as he deals with the wildfires ravaging the area.
Several wildfires have burned in Southern California since Tuesday afternoon.
Los Angeles officials said the Pacific Palisades fire has become the most destructive in the city’s history.
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard during the second half of a game against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)
“He will be caring for family members in the Los Angeles area who were forced to evacuate due to the wildfires occurring there,” NBA insider Chris Haynes said in a video posted to X on Wednesday.
Leonard just made his season debut on Saturday night, when the Clippers defeated the Atlanta Hawks. He had been out nine months due to what the team described as recovering from a right knee injury. He had not played since April 26, a playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Leonard is from Los Angeles and went to King High School in Riverside.
The Palisades Fire burns a home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene García)
OLIVIA CULPO, WIFE OF THE 49ERS STAR, THANKS THE ‘HEROES’ WHO FIGHT AGAINST THE DEVASTATING CALIFORNIA FIRES
Several people have died and more than 1,000 buildings have been destroyed. Thousands more have fled their homes for shelter as fires have raged out of control, fueled by winds that have surpassed 60 to 70 mph.
“This morning, we woke up to a dark cloud covering all of Los Angeles. But it is darker for those who are most intimately affected by these fires. It has been an immensely painful 24 hours,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, early Wednesday. .
A man walks past the burning Altadena Community Church on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
An NHL game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Calgary Flames has been postponed. The NFL is monitoring conditions ahead of Monday’s playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings.
