JJ Redick opens up about the emotional time it has been for him and his family after losing his home in the California wildfires.
“Our home is gone,” Redick said. …everything we owned that was of any importance to us almost 20 years together as a couple and ten years of parenting was in that house. There’s certain things you can’t replace and that will never be replaced.”
He explained to reporters that his family got out safely and he went to see his destroyed house once it was safe to do so.
“I just kind of had to see it for myself,” Redick said. “I was not prepared. I was not prepared for what I saw. It’s complete devastation and destruction. I had to go kind of a different way to the house. I went through most of the village, and it’s all gone. I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that.”
Redick later continued about how he felt the impact of losing everything.
“It’s an awful feeling to lose your home,” Redick said. “I think what has happened the last 72 hours from me being up there, and from having a number of people who also had homes in the Palisades who are also staying in the hotel, you really get a sense of just the communal destruction.
“I got back to the hotel, of course my wife and I are emotional. I’m not sure I’ve wept and wailed like that in several years. And she said to me, ‘I was very hesitant to move out here. I was very hesitant to you know for you to go into coaching. I’ve never loved living somewhere more than I loved Brooklyn.’”
The Lakers head coach said he felt very welcomed by the community in Pacific Palisades.
“We moved out here, and the Palisades community has really been so good to us. That’s the part we’re really struggling with, it’s just the loss of community. I recognize that people make up community, and we’re going to rebuild. …We’ve obviously all leaned on each other. I can say this, for our family, we’re committed as ever to Los Angeles. We recognize like it’s not just our community that’s been impacted by this,” Redick added. He said if “there is anything we can do to help and lead, we will. We’re still figuring that out. It’s still pretty fresh.”
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