Clippers announcer delivers emotional pre-game speech as they and Lakers return to action amid LA fires

As the city of Los Angeles continues to battle three concurrent wildfires torching the area, some of the sports teams in the city have returned to playing in their hometown. While the NFL made the decision to move the Los Angeles Rams to Glendale, Arizona for their Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers hosted home games on Monday evening. Clippers public address announcer Eric Smith: one team, one Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/GDrkaCVUiC — Law Murray 🔜 January 14, 2025 A Los Angeles Clippers fan holds up an 'LA Strong' shirt at a Clippers-Heat game on Monday Lakers rookie Quincy Olivari wears a t-shirt dedicated to Los Angeles first responders 'But the smoke will lift, and they will return and rebuild. James Harden and LeBron James both wore shirts in support of the LA community Clippers star Kawhi Leonard and Lakers coach JJ Redick lost homes in the wildfires Lakers head coach JJ Redick and his family also were forced to leave their family home from the same blaze. On Monday, it was announced that the 12 professional sports teams in Los Angeles - the Clippers and Lakers of the NBA, the Dodgers and Angels of the MLB, the LA Galaxy and LAFC of MLS, the Kings and Anaheim Ducks of the NHL, the Sparks of the WNBA, and Angel City FC of the NWSL - would combine to donate $8million to various causes helping the city's relief efforts.