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At around 4 a.m. on Monday morning, mere hours after he probably got home from the Lakers game on Sunday night, LeBron James and his family had to evacuate their Brentwood home due to the Getty Fire currently raging in West Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, James spoke to reporters about the experience for the first time, saying that his family was all right, and that the real focus should be on the bravery of the first responders currently fighting the blaze:
LeBron James says his family is safe, but obviously a little shaken and sleep deprived. His kids didn't go to school yesterday after the early morning evacuation. He says his house is still standing but it isn't in the clear. Says he has gratitude for first responders.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) October 29, 2019
LeBron James thanked first responders for their efforts to extinguish the Getty Fire.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) October 29, 2019
He said the only personal items he took with him were his passport and credit cards when he and his family were told to quickly evacuate early Monday morning.
LeBron said he appreciates first responders: "It definitely takes a lot of bravery, a lot of commitment, a lot of sacrifice in any job that you take, but when you’re at the risk of your life anytime you’re called upon, it’s a different type of mind state that you have to be in."
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) October 29, 2019
James’ remarks are worth watching in full, and you can do so below:
After practice, word surfaced that James had put his money where his mouth is when it comes to the first responders, sending a taco truck — it is Taco Tuesday, after all — to feed the first responders at their base camp:
LeBron James, who was evacuated because of the Getty fire talked this morning about his admiration for the first responders fighting fires. Today, he sent a taco truck to their base camp to show his appreciation. pic.twitter.com/EJuWBAgM5p
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) October 29, 2019
Hearing that LeBron James has sent a taco truck to feed lunch to the first responders fighting the Getty Fire today at their base camp. James, this morning, had this to say about their efforts: "It’s an amazing job what they do and their commitment with what’s going on right now"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 29, 2019
This is a really cool gesture from James, as no one is required to give back to the men and women bravely fighting these fires, but it’s great when someone can and does.
The whole situation also highlights how there are things going on right now that are far bigger than the outcome of basketball games. Having to relocate your family in the middle of the night has to be a really harrowing experience no matter how rich or famous one is.
James, his wife and children — as well as the countless others who have been relocated due to, or lost things in the blaze — are really going through something right now. I don’t really have some profound way to relate that back to basketball or point to make about it, other than to say that I hope that all of you reading this and your families are okay, and that we should all be helping each other out in any way we can right now.
For more on the areas affected by the Getty Fire and evacuation centers, visit this link. Here are a few ways that people can help the victims of these fires, as well as those affected by the Kincade and Tick fires.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.