On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Clippers visited Ball Arena to play against the Denver Nuggets. However, they were without All-Star Kawhi Leonard, who stayed with his family amid the wildfires that spread in the greater Los Angeles area. Leonard’s family was among the many forced to evacuate from their area due to the calamity.
Reporters were updated on Leonard and his family’s condition by Clippers head coach Ty Lue. Lue claims the two-time NBA champion’s family is safe and out of harm’s way.
“Family, friends, and loved ones. You have to take care of home. Totally has my support, 100 percent. Going back, checking on his family and kids, and making sure they’re well. And he got back and they’re doing okay. So just happy and thankful for that,” Lue said.
Lue also spoke about his feelings regarding the calamity that the state of California is experiencing.
“It’s hard to put things like this behind you, when so many people are affected. But it’s something we got to try to do tonight. And it’s going to be tough. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do it or not.”
Tyronn Lue on tonight's game: "It's hard to put things like this behind you, when so many people are affected. But it's something we got to try to do tonight. And it's going to be tough. I'm not sure if we'll be able to do it or not." https://t.co/xjQgkp8z0N
— Law Murray 🔜 (@LawMurrayTheNU) January 9, 2025
The game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday is facing a potential postponement due to the fires. The fires are raging nonstop, and the famous Hollywood sign is in jeopardy.
🚨 NOW: Aerial footage of Los Angeles shows MASSIVE fires all across the city
These fires are continuing to spread rapidly, including a new fire threatening the Hollywood sign and major landmarks
🎥 @ScooterCasterNY pic.twitter.com/rlzucaTTW1
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 9, 2025
CNN’s Anderson Cooper reported near the flames and said that the flames were “out of control.” Thousands of families have fled their homes and at least five confirmed deaths have happened.
How has the Los Angeles Clippers star performed since his return?
The Los Angeles Clippers star recently made his season debut after recovering from knee injury management. So far, Leonard has only played two games in the 2024-25 NBA season. His first game happened on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. The six-time All-Star played 19 minutes and had 12 points, three rebounds and an assist, helping the Clippers secure a 131-105 win.
His second game was on Monday versus the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 108-106 loss. Leonard started the game and struggled to shoot the basketball. The former Defensive Player of the Year had eight points, two rebounds and two assists on 27.3% shooting from the field.
Leonard has missed the majority of the season due to his injury management. He was supposed to compete for Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, even during the summer. The defensive forward had to leave the national team to tend to his health.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
