LOS ANGELES, CA – As the Los Angeles Lakers prepared for their first game back on the court since having their previous two games postponed, one of the main topics on everyone's mind was the ongoing wildfires. Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed how he challenged the team to simply give him their best in practice, whatever that best might look like given the circumstances. And then following the game, JJ Redick had another reveal, the reasoning behind his sons' postgame viral moment with San Antonio Spurs players Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul.
After the Spurs walked away with a 126-102 win against the Lakers, Wembanyama and Chris Paul approached JJ Redick's sons and gifted them their game-worn jerseys which they signed. When Redick was asked about the moment during his postgame press conference, he invoked emotion with his answer.
“They had a collection of jerseys and cards, and they lost all that. So it's nice of them to do it. And now they each have two because Austin [Reaves] was nice enough to leave a couple for them in his locker after practice the other day,” Redick said. “I appreciate all the love, and not surprised Chris did something like that.”
Redick's Pacific Palisades home was among those destroyed in the wildfire. His sons' lost there entire collection of NBA memorabilia.
Related Los Angeles Lakers NewsArticle continues below
Redick spoke about how Paul called him before the game and how his bond with the Spurs' point guard that dates back to his playing days, set the wheels in motion for such a heartfelt gesture amid a heartbreaking situation.
“Chris is like a brother to me. It's funny, we were talking yesterday about our inner circles and within NBA people you've worked with, or people you know, people you have a relationship with. Coaches, teammates, equipment managers, PR staff, whatever it may be,” Redick said. “You're in the league long enough, you have this big circle and it's people you like, people you love and then it's your brothers.”
“He called me this afternoon and said, ‘Vic and I are going to go, whether you win or we win, we're going to go over and give your boys jerseys. He's well aware that they're huge NBA fans,” Redick continued. “Ran a podcast out of my home for two years. All the players would come through and they'd get either a jersey or a card signed.”
As far as the game at hand, the Lakers held a double digit lead at one point, before the Spurs used a fourth quarter surge to take control of the game. It's the third consecutive loss for the Lakers who will look to end their skid against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
