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 simultaneous wildfires burning the area, some of the city’s sports teams have returned to play in their hometowns.

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 night.

At the newly opened Intuit Dome in the city of Inglewood, the Clippers hosted the Miami Heat in their first game at home after the fires started. The NBA had previously postponed a home game against the Charlotte Hornets due to the disaster.

Before the game started, Clippers public address announcer Eric Smith gave a moving speech.

“Our city has suffered unfathomable devastation,” Smith told the gathered fans. “Homes have been destroyed, businesses and lives have been lost and communities have been changed forever.

“We are so grateful for the first responders, but we sympathize with the victims. We mourn more than just belongings, photos, memories, memories that connect families and generations. Once vibrant and historic neighborhoods were empty and evacuated.

Lakers rookie Quincy Olivari wears a t-shirt dedicated to Los Angeles first responders

“But the smoke will clear and they will return and rebuild. Because this is LA and today we all stand together: one team, one Los Angeles.”

The speech drew cheers from the sparsely attended audience just before the national anthem played.

Players wore t-shirts on the benches and during warmups that read “LA Strong” with a blue outline of the state.

Across town in downtown LA, the Lakers hosted the San Antonio Spurs in a game that was initially postponed until Saturday. Like the Clippers, the Lakers also had a game against the Hornets postponed.

The team held a moment of silence and dedicated the game to first responders on a night when the franchise also retired Lakers legend Michael Cooper’s jersey.

Like the Clippers, the Lakers also wore special shirts during warmups and on the bench – with a yellow firefighter’s cross and the Lakers’ “L” logo in the center with the words “Thank You First Responders.”

Members of both teams were affected by the bushfires, which are still raging through the city and surrounding suburbs.

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard announced last week that he would be taking some time away from the team after his family was forced to evacuate from the Palisades Fire. Leonard played in Monday’s game – a 109-98 win.

James Harden (L) and LeBron James (R) both wore shirts in support of the LA community

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard (L) and Lakers coach JJ Redick (R) lost homes to the wildfires

Lakers head coach JJ Redick and his family were also forced to leave their family home by the same fire. Redick was on the bench when the Lakers fell 126-102 to San Antonio.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who has a home in suburban Los Angeles and went to high school in Pacific Palisades, also lost his home.

With the fire still ongoing, Lakers star LeBron James shared a message of support on social media on Saturday.

“I pray this nightmare ends soon!” the four-time NBA champion wrote on social media. “So many prayers,” he added.

On Monday it was announced that the twelve 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 the MLS, the Kings and Anaheim Ducks of the NHL, the Sparks of the WNBA and Angel City FC of the NWSL would team up to donate $8 million to various charities aiding the city’s relief efforts.

That donation was widely criticized on social media, with many saying the amount was too low – especially considering that five of those teams (the Rams [3]Lakers [8]Blinkers [22]Evaders [24]and chargers [31]) are among the 40 most valuable sports franchises in the world.

As of Monday evening, the death toll from the three wildfires – the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire and the Hurst Fire – stands at 24. The two larger fires, the Palisades and Eaton Fires, are both under 30 percent contained.