Starbucks has introduced a policy that will require people to make a purchase if they want to hang out in their cafes or use the restroom. It’s part of a strategy that the new CEO hopes customers will welcome at a time of declining profits.
The chain says its new code of conduct “is something most retailers have and is designed to provide clarity that our spaces — including our cafes, patios and restrooms — are for use by customers and partners.”
It’s among the changes new CEO Brian Niccol has made in an attempt to turn around the coffee giant’s lackluster performance with sales steadily falling for months. His other priorities include faster drink turnarounds and a simpler menu.
The Wall Street Journalreports that the policy will be implemented later this month at the more than 11,000 Starbucks stores in North America, and will require a three hour training session for staff.
You know who breaks down stories like this really well and delivers just the right amount of economics to your inbox weekly? The Planet Money newsletter.
Finding public toilets can be a struggle
It will no doubt come as a hurdle for people who may need to rely on public bathrooms more heavily than others, like those with special medical needs or pregnant people. This has been a longstanding issue for people in the U.S., and has inspired entire Instagram accounts to help people find accessible bathrooms in New York City.
The loss of third places
Starbucks leaders say they want the coffeehouse to be a “third place”— not work, not home — where people can meet and construct a sense of community. Americans have seen a decline in these spaces over the years, and especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. And as WBUR reported last year, rebuilding them is essential to our wellbeing and happiness.
On Friday afternoon, the winds across the Santa Monica Mountains suddenly shifted, and the Palisades fire pushed north and east, making a run in two different directions: toward Encino and Brentwood.
Across the southern San Fernando Valley and West L.A., terrified Angelenos watched as leaping flames and massive plumes of smoke continued to rise over ridgelines well into the night, worried that the already catastrophic blaze could devastate new parts of the city.
But this time, there were two critical differences in the firefight: There was a squadron of massive water- and retardant-dropping aircraft at the ready, and winds — although strong — still allowed for them to take flight.
So pilots went to work.
The next 24 hours became an all-out attack of air resources, with enough helicopters responding to the fire’s flare-up that the choppers were, at times, lined up, just waiting for orders to make their next drop. Conveniently located water sources, particularly the Encino Reservoir — less than a mile from the northern front of the fire — also helped expedite tank refills, officials said.
And although the fire did end up growing by about 1,000 acres and likely damaged or destroyed some homes, the massive push held the flames back from making another major run into urban areas. By Saturday evening, much of the region had breathed a collective sigh of relief.
“A lot of it, honestly, just had to do with the amount of resources available to us, and everybody briefed and everybody ready,” said Sean Preader, a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection focused on aviation. “Even though we were ready the first day … we still didn’t have as many [resources] as we did on Friday, and that’s honestly a huge part of our success — and not just in the air but the ground also.”
In contrast to the chaos of Tuesday — when aircraft were grounded during a key portion of the initial firefight due to winds that hit up to 80 mph — the aerial attack Friday into Saturday was key in halting another disastrous run from the fire.
“We had so much aircraft up that there was no break in the firefight,” said Jim Hudson, the Cal Fire incident commander over the Palisades fire. “They’ll go circle out of the area, get clearance to come in, they drop, they go fill. It’s just a constant cycle. … It was a lot; it was what was required.”
A firefighter stands guard at a home on Mandeville Canyon Road as the Palisades fire spreads toward Encino early Saturday.
With that amount of air support, crews dropped more than 650,000 gallons of water on the fire from 8 a.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, Preader said — about half of which was dropped overnight Friday into Saturday.
“That’s huge,” he said, noting it was by far the most water dropped during any 24-hour period of the Palisades fire. “That day was all hands on deck.”
Under a unified command among several fire agencies, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft had been made ready from several nearby jurisdictions, as well as from across the state, nation and Canada. Brett Willis, Los Angeles Fire Department’s battalion chief over air operations, said there were at least three sizes of helicopters flying during the attack, including ones that can hold 480, 1,000, and 2,500 gallons of water, as well as the fixed-wing aircraft that primarily dropped retardant. He estimated there were more than a dozen aircraft on the fire at various times Friday and Saturday. Capt. Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the LAFD and the Palisades fire, said that more than 40 helicopters were assigned to the fire at that point, along with several fixed-wing aircraft shared across the region’s fires.
“It was constant,” Willis said.
He recalled flying over the fire early Friday, worrying how a shift in the weather could threaten Mandeville Canyon, a small, affluent area of Brentwood.
“If this weather flips, if we get the wind, we’ve got a real shot at losing Mandeville if we’re not careful,” Willis remembered saying.
And that’s exactly what happened, as the winds switched from a typical offshore Santa Ana pattern into an onshore flow, further fueling the fire.
“We watched the wind very slowly shift, and we ordered aircraft out of our helibase,” Willis said. “Very quickly, we went from about three or four aircraft on a very quiet fire to 12 aircraft, with heavy heli-tankers, and prepping the air attack to order fixed-wing.”
As the blaze pushed north and east with those new winds, officials called for the evacuation of Brentwood and the hills of Encino and Tarzana. Flames pushed up against established fire lines set up along Mulholland Drive and jumped over the lines west of Mandeville Canyon.
By Saturday morning, fixed-wing planes joined in the fight.
“The fixed-wing retardant-dropping aircraft just pummeled that area,” Willis said. “It was absolutely necessary, and it was probably what was the turning point, saving the rest of that area.”
Not only were planes filling up at Encino Reservoir, they were also getting water from Stone Canyon Reservoir, just over the 405 Freeway, and at several nearby locations where planes can fill up at hydrants, including in Topanga, Willis said. He estimated some helicopters could make a drop, refill, and drop again within 10 to 20 minutes, if they were needed. In some cases, they were lining up, waiting to be dispatched out to a hot spot or fire line, Hudson said.
“They just line them up,” Hudson said. “They go 12 miles out until their turn, and then it’s a constant rotation. … They come in, retardant, next aircraft up, retardant. They’re just building that line and connecting the dots. They go reload, and they’re right back in the stack.”
Although the air attack proved critical, Willis said it only works in coordination with ground crews.
“It’s total teamwork; we just have different jobs,” Willis said. “But with the amount of geography to cover and the volume of fire we were seeing with fire behavior that we’ve never seen before … we knew that fighting fire from the air was gonna be a critical component.”
After spending much of Friday night watching constant water drops and hoping the fire wouldn’t threaten her Tarzana home, Sarah Cohen said she was in awe of the firefighting effort.
“They deserve a parade and bonuses,” Cohen said Saturday.
While the blaze rages on and winds remain a concern, it’s hard to feel too much relief, but Willis said he’s proud of what they accomplished Friday and Saturday.
“With all of that devastation or loss, we had a lot of successes, a lot of saves,” Willis said. “And I think the air assets were an absolute key component to large-volume saves.”
Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.
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Former top 15 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Chris Curtis suffered his second straight loss at UFC Vegas 101 this past weekend (Sat., Jan. 11, 2025) when Roman Kopylov stopped him with one second left inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (watch highlights).
Both Curtis and his head coach, Eric Nicksick, were furious about the stoppage, which was undoubtedly controversial and can be dissected in several different ways.
Now that Nicksick has had time to digest what happened, he explained why he was so mad at UFC Vegas 101 … and it wasn’t about the kick that stopped the fight.
“First and foremost, we need to take accountability on our end. I said this to Chris immediately after the fight. We should have never been in that position. If you don’t want Mark [Smith] to make that call, then don’t get head kicked,” Nicksick said on his podcast Versus Us. “Don’t be in that position or that situation to make Mark make that type of decision. Now, the stoppage was questionable. We’re all agreeing to that. But it wasn’t the stoppage that I’m mad about.”
“It was the fact that prior to the fight, the referee comes in and asks, ‘Do you have any questions or concerns?’ Chris Curtis went on and said this: ‘Guy will find ways to stall. What are you going to do if and when he does stall? How are you going to handle that? We laid out the game plan on how we’re going to attack and approach,” Nicksick added. “We were told something different, and then the way he handled it in the fight, right? That’s what I’m pissed off about. You never get three timeouts in a f—king fight.“
“So, number one, he spit his mouthpiece out. That wasn’t too bad. All right. Groin strike- Remember, Chris was [applying a lot of pressure], right? You guys hear me yell, ‘Oregon- meaning no-huddle.’ Keep that f—king offense on the field and keep the pressure, right? Yep. Then the eye poke, and I calmly said to Mark, ‘Hey, that is two infractions in a row in this round. Where’s the point?”
Nicksick has had trouble with veteran mixed martial arts (MMA) referee Mark Smith before and went on to list several different instances in which Smith screwed up a call or missed a foul.
“Anytime that I see Mark Smith walk in the back and say, ‘I got your fight.’ This sounds shitty to say, but I think to myself, we’re now fighting two people, not one. I have felt like that for years. And this runs deeper than yesterday, Nicksick said. “Bottom line, I think Mark’s a good person. He’s not a bad human being…For whatever reason, I feel like every time I see Mark, we’re fighting against two people, not one. That’s my feeling…That’s how I feel when I see that dude come in the back. When I see [Jason] Herzog, I’m like, ‘Great. This dude’s gonna give us a fair shake.’ [Mike] Beltran will give us a fair shake.’ When I see Mark Smith, I’m like, ‘How is this guy gonna find a way to f—ck us over? Somehow, someway.’
Nicksick is going to try to find out if there is a way to formally request Smith not to ref any of his fighter’s fights in the future because he believes there is too much baggage between the two, especially because Smith used to ref sparring rounds at Xtreme Couture, Nicksick’s gym in Las Vegas.
“I’m gonna find all that out [from the commission]. 100%. It’s just too far gone,” Nicksick said. “Like, I know this guy too well, anecdotally, through all of my experiences with him, and on a personal level of what I’ve seen with other people and other fights. Like, there’s no way that this guy can’t hold a grudge or be biased. There’s just no way. I know him too well, and he fraternizes with other gyms, teams, fighters, coaches, and everything else. So, the lines have been blurred. I think he’s an egomaniac. I mean, I’ve never heard a ref ask people to vote for him for the MMA ref of the year.”
For complete UFC Vegas 101 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
Is love in the air for Hugh Jackman? The 56-year-old actor was spotted walking hand in hand with actress Sutton Foster during a night out, as seen in photos shared by PEOPLE earlier this year — and they were even spotted kissing in other images obtained by Page Sixthat have surfaced online. This sighting comes after The Greatest Showman star split from his wife of 27 years, Deborra-Lee Furness, in 2023. In a statement released in September 2023, which was obtained by PEOPLE, Deborra and Hugh said, “We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
Since their split, it seems the Wolverine star may have found love again with 49-year-old actress Sutton. Learn more below about Hugh and Sutton’s rumored romance, as Hollywood Life has gathered the latest details.
Who Is Sutton Foster?
Sutton was born on March 18, 1975, in Statesboro, Georgia. She is best known for her roles on Broadway and television. Like Hugh, she also recently separated from her spouse, Ted Griffin, in 2024.
Are Sutton Foster & Hugh Jackman Dating?
Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
Sutton and Hugh have known each other for quite some time and even worked together on Broadway in The Music Man revival in 2022. At the time, she told Vogue, “He has an impeccable reputation of being the hardest working man, incredibly kind, and generous—and all of that is true.” Sutton added, “He’s now become one of my best friends, which was a surprise, because you usually go into these things thinking, ‘Well, I hope we get along.’ But we just spent Memorial Day with our families. It’s really fun to meet new friends after 40.”
Photos of the two holding hands and of them kissing sparked speculation that Hugh and Sutton are in a relationship. Though neither has commented, the pictures hinted that sparks flew between them.
Who Is Hugh Jackman’s Wife?
Hugh Jackman’s estranged wife, Deborra-Lee, was born in Australia and worked in the entertainment industry as an actress and producer. She and Hugh share two adopted children, Oscar and Ava.
Areas such as Costa del Sol, Malaga and Alicante have been particularly impacted.
Despite early rainfall this year, water reserves in the southern half of Spain remain critically low, and experts warn that the situation is far from resolved.
According to a recent report by the Public Sanitation and Supply Association, while northern Spain has seen improvements in water levels, the southern regions continue to struggle.
The association stressed that the Costa del Sol remains under “emergency” drought conditions, with water-saving measures needing to be further enforced to safeguard the region’s supply.
The report highlighted that 16 municipalities in southern Spain, including areas in the interior of Andalucia, Almeria, and Alicante’s Marina Baja, are still experiencing severe drought conditions.
The Guadalquivir, Segura, Jucar, Guadalete-Barbate, and Catalunya water regions remain particularly vulnerable, with water levels well below their historic averages.
“These challenges underline the urgent need for more resilient water management,” the report stated, also linking the crisis to the broader effects of climate change.
While autumn rainfall has improved conditions in cities like Sevilla and Antequera, the situation remains dire in areas like Campo de Gibraltar, Guadalhorce, and Axarquia, where drought measures are still firmly in place.
In Malaga, reservoir levels currently sit at just 28%, a slight improvement over last year’s low of 16%, but still significantly lower than a decade ago when levels were at 48%.
Across Andalucia, water reserves are at 34%, a 15% increase from last year but still 11% below the levels seen ten years ago.
The region of Almeria is particularly affected, with reservoir levels at a critical 9.38%, it is at the exact same level it was at this time last year.
“The situation in southern Spain remains precarious,” said AEOPAS spokesperson Carlos Vega. “We need urgent action to diversify water supplies*
Is there a legal equivalent for the term grasping at straws? That is what this new element to the Blake Lively and Justin BaldoniIt Ends With Us drama certainly feels like. Even though the film was a Sony Pictures release, Baldoni and his legal team have now pulled Marvel and Disney into the mix because they believe that Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, created a character in Deadpool & Wolverine to specifically mock him.
Per Variety, Baldoin’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, sent a litigation hold letter to Marvel head-honcho Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger regarding Baldoni’s “anticipated claims” against Reynolds, the star of Deadpool & Wolverine, his wife Lively, and other parties that are currently unnamed. The letter wants the pair to preserve every document that may reference Baldoni, because they believe that the character of “Nicepool” in the film, also portrayed by Reynolds, was specifically created to mock the It Ends With Us director.
Nicepool is an alternate version of the Deadpool character in the film that is overly nice and not nearly as violent or dripping with sarcasm as his other variants. Baldoni’s lawyer believes that the character was written in specific moments to poke fun at the actor/director by saying lines such as, “Where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?!”
They believe this is a reference to Lively’s claims that Baldoni wanted to add more sexual elements to It Ends With Us. There is also a moment when Nicepool compliments Ladypool (played by Lively) for “snapping back” physically following giving birth. They allege this is another nod to one of Lively’s claims that Baldoni fat-shamed the actress while they were filming as she had just given birth before shooting the film.
The It Ends With Us Legal Battle has Now Crossed Studios
All of this has gotten so crazy that it really does feel like Baldoni and his legal team are looking for anything that might make their case look better. That’s not to say that both sides don’t have a case, but Baldoni’s seems so hugely superficial and a reaction to Lively’s sexual harassment claims and comes off a bit like victim blaming. That being said, it’s interesting to explore if some of the character’s lines were created as a jab at Baldoni.
Baldoni’s attorney recently appeared on ‘The Megyn Kelly Show’ to unveil the latest (purported) evidence.
For instance, after Nicepool makes the “snap back” comment to Ladypool, Deadpool is quick to point out the character’s misogyny, which results in Nicepool saying, “It’s okay, I identify as a feminist.” It’s not hard to find instances of Baldoni representing himself as an ally to women once he acquired the rights to turn Colleen Hoover’s novel, which has a strong focus in domestic violence, into a film. The actor also touted that badge of honor during the film’s production and its subsequent promotion, which initially garnered him more approval over Lively, who was cited for promoting the movie on a more superficial level.
Since Reynolds, who is also a writer and producer on the Marvel film, has a direct association with Lively as her husband, the hold letter wants Marvel and Disney to make sure they hold onto all documents that deal with the Nicepool character. This includes, “communications relating to the development, writing, and filming of storylines featuring Nicepool.” If that wasn’t enough, they also want the studio to preserve “All documents relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool.”
To his credit, Reynolds has never commented on whether Nicepool is a direct reference to Baldoni or his character while shooting It Ends With Us with his wife. For those wanting to explore this more, Deadpool & Wolverine was released on July 26, while It Ends With Us hit screens on Aug. 9. It’s possible Nicepool was a reference to Baldoni, and since a lot of this drama was playing out during the production of both films, it’s POSSIBLE he has a point. Fans also seem to think the evidence points to Reynolds using the character to mock Baldoni. However, it also seems like A LOT of assumptions and maybe if Baldoni sees some of himself in that character, perhaps a proper look in the mirror is necessary.
This was not the It Ends With Us sequel that many fans were hoping for.
Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, It Ends With Us is a drama-romance film directed by Justin Baldoni. The film follows a recent college graduate named Lily, who meets a man named Ryle and falls in love with him. However, a traumatic incident compounded with her former high-school sweetheart re-entering her life complicates her plans.
Release Date
August 9, 2024
Runtime
130 Minutes
Cast
Blake Lively
, Justin Baldoni
, Brandon Sklenar
, Jenny Slate
, Hasan Minhaj
, Amy Morton
, Kevin McKidd
, Isabela Ferrer
, Alex Neustaedter
, Robert Clohessy
, Robyn Lively
, Megan Robinson
, Robin S. Walker
, Emily Baldoni
, Adam Mondschein
, Caroline Siegrist
, Steve Monroe
, Daphne Zelle
After more than five years of no crossovers, the One Chicago
TV series — Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med — will come together for one big event in 2025, and one actor is setting high expectations for the three-part story. The three NBC procedural shows last teamed up in October 2019 for “Infection,” butsince then, they have kept to themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic (resulting in more safety precautions) was a huge factor in the crossover drought, but that will all end on one special night in late January.
Steven Weber, who stars as Dr. Dean Archer in the medical drama, discussed the highly-anticipated One Chicago crossover with ScreenRant. He couldn’t say too much about the event, including which Chicago Fire or Chicago PD characters Archer might share scenes with. However, Weber drew parallels between the upcoming crossover and one of the biggest movies ever. Check out Weber’s full quote below:
I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that I’ve heard that it’s very, very difficult to act while wearing 40 to 50 pounds of gear, oxygen tanks, and masks. This is what I’ve heard. It’s really hard. But the thing is that this particular crossover is the equivalent of the audience going to a One Chicago amusement park and combine that with all these amazing actors. It’s not just a couple here and there mincing through the ER or some doctor shows up at a crash site or something like that. This is like Avengers: Endgame. Everybody comes in and they are going! And the audience is going to be screaming. That’s all I’m going to say.
Weber Comparing The Event To Avengers: Endgame Sets High Expectations
Although Weber couldn’t give out specific names when asked about who Archer interacts with in the 2025 One Chicago crossover, his comments imply that the actor worked with some Chicago Fire stars during the three-part event. Unfortunately, viewers will seemingly have to wait to learn who Weber was talking about. In the meantime, though, the Chicago Med actor’s Avengers: Endgame analogy raises some eyebrows.
There are several Chicago Med characters who have left Gaffney Medical Center over the past decade. Some of them could return in season 10.
Weber stated that the upcoming crossover between all three One Chicago TV shows will feel like this universe’s version of Avengers: Endgame. This comparison sets high expectations for the event since Avengers: Endgame is the second highest-grossing film of all time. Nevertheless, based on Weber’s comments, audiences will see Med actors working with Fire stars and PD characters grouping up. So far, it’s known that all three teams will respond to a gas explosion at a high-rise building. The three-part event’s synopsis also reveals that the explosion results in 40 people trapped underground, including two recognizable One Chicago characters.
Our Take On What’s To Come In The One Chicago Crossover
The Stakes Are High
Weber’s statement suggests that the 2025 One Chicago crossover could be the biggest one the franchise has ever done. Taking into account his parallel between the NBC crossover and Avengers: Endgame, viewers have reason to worry about their favorite One Chicago characters. If the stakes are high, lives are in danger, and not just for those who are strangers to the audience. The interconnected Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med story should have viewers on the edge of their seats for all three hours of the crossover event.
The three-hour One Chicago crossover premieres on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, on NBC. The franchise’s normal schedule for the event will slightly change as Chicago Fire kicks things off at 8 pm ET, followed by Chicago Med at 9 pm ET, and ending with Chicago PD at 10 pm ET.
Chicago Med is a medical drama television series that follows the lives of the doctors and nurses of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, the show is the third series in Wolf Entertainment’s Chicago franchise. Chicago Med premiered on NBC in 2015, and occasionally has crossover events with Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.
Release Date
November 17, 2015
Cast
Marlyne Barrett
, S. Epatha Merkerson
, Oliver Platt
, Nick Gehlfuss
, Brian Tee
, Lorena Diaz
, Yaya DaCosta
, Torrey DeVitto
The Lakers were, again, the Lakers — the version from early this season that made optimism seem nothing like foolishness.
For two-and-a-half quarters Sunday night against Memphis, they completely shed the baggage of the last two weeks. The long road miles, the stagnant offense, the physical bruises from losses to bigger, tougher teams all gone.
This was the team JJ Redick had in the first weeks of the season and the team the Lakers had been desperately trying to recapture in a brutal stretch since.
And then Zach Edey chopped down and pulled on Anthony Davis’ left shoulder, and everything felt like it could change.
Davis went to the locker room, the Lakers’ offense stalled, their defense wasn’t as ferocious and their 20-point lead was more than cut in half.
An easy night suddenly got tough.
But instead of folding in the face of pressure like they have so many times over the previous 10 games, the Lakers showed toughness. Davis returned in the fourth quarter. Austin Reaves, bloody from an elbow to the mouth, still fought. Max Christie still defended. James still raced around the court.
The Lakers beat Memphis 116-110 in a game the Grizzlies never led. Memphis (18-9) had won 10 of 11 games ahead of its meeting with the Lakers (14-12).
Sunday, the Lakers set the tone physically, they executed offensively, and Davis dominated, tying season highs with 40 points and 16 rebounds.
“We were able to stay poised, stay calm, win it back and ultimately win the game,” Davis said.
Lakers star Anthony Davis gestures after making a three-pointer against the Grizzlies in the first half of Sunday’s game.
(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
That win came during a stretch when the Lakers had lost eight of 11 games, missed free throws, and tough shots from opposing teams and rough offensive nights had zapped their energy.
But Sunday, with Davis out and Memphis closing the third quarter on a 13-2 run, the Lakers didn’t buckle.
“I think in the past it might have had a different outcome,” Christie said. “And I think tonight shows a little bit of growth for us as a unit being able to take that punch in the mouth, just keeping your chin high and staying poised defensively and offensively.”
James, in his first game back after missing the last two, had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Reaves had 19 points and eight assists.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 25 points before fouling out. Ja Morant scored 20, but he needed 21 shots, with Christie playing one of the best defensive games of his career.
It doesn’t ultimately matter where James spent the last week. It does, though, matter where he wasn’t — with the Lakers. And when he came back, LeBron James, again, looked like LeBron James.
His first points came on a thunderous one-handed dunk. He immediately followed up with a trademark block from behind. And his next hoop came on an acrobatic tip-in, his athleticism on display even in Year 22.
But the other changes were more subtle, the signs of James being mentally refreshed just as obvious.
He popped off the bench to engage with his team during the first quarter, shouting instructions. He sprinted the floor to try and get another highlight slam only to be waived off by Reaves, who patiently probed and found a cutting Davis for a bucket.
“Nice pass,” James said on the way back down the court, his cut drawing the defense, the kind of play that doesn’t show up in a box score.
James said the plan to take the last week off came together after the Lakers lost in Atlanta.
“Felt my foot, felt my body after the Hawks game, after that last road trip. Did my pregame workout on that Sunday for the Portland game and decided that it was probably best that I take that game off,” he said. “And then looking forward to the schedule, we didn’t play again until Friday in Minnesota. I had an opportunity to take more days and get my mind, body and everything where I wanted it to be for tonight. And it worked out.”
Before the game, Redick said he and James spoke about the veteran taking time away from the team before James missed the Lakers’ win against Portland. The break was a chance for James to get physically right with his ailing left foot as much as it was for James to get mentally reset a quarter of the way through the season.
“I played 15 [seasons] and was emotionally, mentally, physically drained, fried. I put everything I had into this game,” Redick said. “I had nothing left. For guys like him and [Chris Paul], Tom Bradys of the world, the Roger Federers of the world, it’s hard to comprehend having that level of sustained excellence for so long, because of the toll that it takes on all of you, not just your body.”
James said he thought the foot injury would continue to be something to monitor, as it has been “been lingering for the last few years.”
“Nah, it’s not behind me,” he said. “It’s an everyday thing.”
Lakers star LeBron James, right, drives against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells during the second half Sunday.
(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
The Lakers now all get a break — they don’t play again until Thursday in Sacramento. It’s another chance for James to rest, return and spark the Lakers.
“He had a week off. Had some energy, which kind of brought energy to us,” Davis said. “He’s obviously dealing with some stuff. But I think a week off kind of just let him heal and get back right. And he came out with a ton of energy, which kind of got us going.”
Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.
LOS ANGELES — With the Lakers about to play their first game after a six-day layoff due to the Southern California wildfires, their coach, JJ Redick, took a moment to focus on something he hoped could be gained after so much has been lost.
“I think a group functions best when you draw strength from each other,” said Redick, whose home was one of the thousands lost to the fires in the past week. “Then it’s our job to go give strength and give hope and give joy. Sports are a lot of things, and sports can certainly provide an escape and a distraction; and hopefully, sports — and tonight — can provide some joy, as well.”
The Lakers worked with the NBA, Los Angeles County officials and the San Antonio Spurs to hold Monday’s game as scheduled, announcing that the franchise would be dedicating the game to the L.A. community and the first responders who have worked to provide relief from the fires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures across 40,000 acres of charred land.
“Sports really work well when the team, the organization, has a connection to the city and the fans feel a connection to the team,” Redick said before the Lakers lost 126-102 to the Spurs. “And then it just flows in some sort of eternal circle of that. The Lakers have that with the city of Los Angeles. Having played here before and lived here, I’m well aware of that relationship. And part of the reason I wanted to coach here was to participate in that.”
The Lakers banded together with all of L.A.’s professional sports teams to pledge more than $8 million toward local relief efforts, and the team started a donation drive Monday that it will continue through Saturday to collect essential personal items and nonperishable food items at home games at Crypto.com Arena and at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo.
Redick said several Lakers players were forced to leave their homes by order of evacuation, like so many others.
Anthony Davis, who said he could see the flames through the windows in his home, was forced to evacuate along with his family on Friday, before being permitted to return later in the weekend.
“The fight isn’t over,” Davis said. “We still have a lot to do.”
He added that he wanted to meet personally with first responders and arrange for Lakers tickets as a sign of gratitude.
“Just trying to figure it all out and do my part as one of the leaders here in our community,” Davis said.
Despite the upheaval around the team, Redick said the Lakers became closer during the unplanned break in their game schedule, with contests against the Charlotte Hornets and another game against the Spurs postponed indefinitely.
“Truthfully, I think it was our best three days in the gym — non-games, of course — but our best three days in the gym since the first three days of training camp,” Redick said. “It was the right spirit, we got a lot done and the guys were super connected.”
L.A. players took the court before Monday’s contest wearing special black warmup shirts printed with the Lakers’ logo along with the Los Angeles Fire Department’s symbol and the message, “Thank you, first responders.” Redick also wore the Lakers/LAFD logo as a patch on the arm of his sweater.
Prior to tipoff, Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter invited the crowd to join in a moment of silence and reflection.
“Our hearts are with those who have suffered from this horrible tragedy,” he said.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, one of the players displaced by the fires, also took the microphone to address the fans from center court.
“We definitely want to give a shoutout to the first responders who are putting their lives on the line right now to protect our community,” Vincent said.
The Clippers, meanwhile, returned to host the Miami Heat on Monday night at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, about 10 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Team representatives covered every seat with giveaway white towels featuring the words “LA Strong” and a blue image of the state of California.
“We’re so thankful for the first responders, but we ache for the victims,” public address announcer Eric Smith said before the Clippers’ 109-98 win against the Heat. “The smoke will lift, and they will return and rebuild, because this is L.A. Today, we all stand together [as] one team, one Los Angeles.”
Clippers guard James Harden, a Los Angeles native, acknowledged that while it can be difficult to know what to say to people who have lost so much, it’s important to “just try to support, have their back and really come together and closer because, honestly, that’s the only route we’ve got.”
Coach Ty Lue said his team and the entire Clippers organization is “trying to do everything we can to help.”
Redick, whose family is staying in a hotel while reeling from the loss of their Pacific Palisades home, again took the chance to thank everyone inside and outside the Lakers organization who has offered support thus far.
“I’m awfully proud to be a part of the Lakers organization and our response,” Redick said. “It just makes you feel proud to be with the Lakers.”
After their game with the Lakers, San Antonio’s Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama presented Redick’s two sons, Knox and Kai, with their game-worn uniforms and autographed the jerseys for the children to have as a keepsake.
Redick, who played with Paul on the Clippers, said the point guard was aware that his sons lost their basketball memorabilia collection in the fire.
“When you’ve been in the league long enough, you have this big circle, and it’s people you like, people you love and then it’s your brothers — and Chris is in that inner-inner circle of brothers,” Redick said. “I’m not surprised Chris did something like that.”
Paul swelled with emotion when asked about the gesture afterward.
“You play a lot of years in this league and some guys are just teammates, but JJ is part of my family,” Paul said. “So, him and his wife, those kids — Knox and Kai … I know a lot of people lost family members, homes, stuff like that. It hits different when the people are close to you.”
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
