Lakers Coach Redick Raises Millions to Rebuild LA After Fire

JJ Redick stood on the sidewalk where his house used to be, feeling the heat from smoldering ash on his skin. Everything his family owned had collapsed into the basement, leaving nothing but rubble and memories.

That was January 8, 2025, when the Lakers coach returned from a Dallas game to find Southern California ablaze. The Palisades wildfire had destroyed nearly 60,000 acres, incinerating his rental home and countless others across Altadena, Malibu, and the Pacific Palisades.

His wife Chelsea and their two boys had evacuated with just overnight bags. When Redick arrived at 3 a.m., still in his coach's uniform, he carried a list of items to recover: Chelsea's engagement ring, the kids' iPads, a week's worth of clothes. But when he reached the property hours later, he found nothing salvageable in the pile of ash.

The emotional weight hit him hardest exactly one year later. As he drove past the 10 Freeway after another Texas road trip, tears came during a coaches' meeting when he read his wife's Instagram post about their loss.

"It was as emotional as I've ever been in my life," Redick told ESPN. His anger wasn't just about losing the home—it was about his family only experiencing that community for five months before it vanished.

The Ripple Effect

Instead of dwelling on loss, Redick channeled his emotions into rebuilding. He created LA Sports Strong and partnered with Steadfast LA to reimagine the Palisades Recreation Center with fire-resistant buildings and 50,000 square feet of protected green space.

On the anniversary of the fire, he joined a fundraiser at a Palisades home. Judd Apatow performed stand-up, Jennifer Garner spoke, and Ryan Tedder sang while Adam Sandler introduced Redick and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts for an intimate conversation.

The event raised millions—more than double the original target. It mirrored the generosity the NBA community showed last spring when they helped replace his sons' lost memorabilia collections with treasures beyond their dreams.

The devastation remains unrelenting, but so does the determination to rebuild. Redick worries the place won't be the same, yet he's working with builders, funders, and civic partners to ensure the new Palisades rises stronger and safer than before.

From the ashes of one family's loss has grown a movement to protect an entire community for generations to come.