On January 11th, Beijing time, the NBA officially announced that the Lakers' home game against the Spurs and the Clippers' home game against the Hornets scheduled for tomorrow have both been postponed. This was foreseeable, as Los Angeles is currently experiencing a wildfire disaster, with many players' homes destroyed by the fires. Leonard had previously returned to Los Angeles to be with his family.
In response to this situation, the NBA has taken action by not only postponing two games but also donating $1 million to support those affected by the disaster. The NBA has also stated that it will work with the Lakers and Clippers to support long-term aid and reconstruction efforts. In this wildfire disaster, many people's homes were destroyed, including some players' homes, such as Lakers head coach Redick's rental property, leaving many homeless.
In Los Angeles, the NBA has two teams: the Clippers and the Lakers. Among them, the Lakers' previous game had already been postponed. This time, the NBA officially announced the postponement of two more games, both involving the Clippers and the Lakers, with the rescheduled dates to be determined later. Subsequently, the Clippers also announced that they would not continue to postpone games, and the next game against the Heat would return to normal, except for the game against the Hornets, which has been postponed.
The Clippers' team reporter then revealed the reason for the postponement: the Clippers' staff are all involved in disaster relief efforts, leading to a shortage of personnel. An NBA game requires many staff members, but since many people's homes are in Los Angeles, they naturally participate in the relief efforts. Additionally, some people need to accompany their families, leaving few available. Among them, Clippers star Leonard hurried back to Los Angeles last game and missed the game, as family always comes first.
The Lakers, on the other hand, have had two consecutive games postponed, giving the players a brief break. The next game will be at home against the Heat on January 16th, which will not be postponed again, as the disaster situation is expected to have eased by then. For the Lakers, this period of adjustment is crucial, especially since James is already 40 years old and very much in need of rest.