As the city of Los Angeles continues to battle three simultaneous wildfires ravaging the area, some of the city's sports teams have returned to play 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 night.
At the newly opened Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the Clippers hosted the Miami Heat in their first home game back after the fires started. Previously, the NBA had postponed a home game against the Charlotte Hornets due to the disaster.
Before the game began, 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 very grateful for the first responders, but we are hurt by the victims. We mourn more than properties, photographs, memories, memories that connect families and generations. Once vibrant and historic neighborhoods are empty, evacuated.
A Los Angeles Clippers fan holds up an 'LA Strong' jersey at a game between the Clippers and Heat on Monday.
Lakers rookie Quincy Olivari wears jersey dedicated to Los Angeles first responders
But the smoke will clear and they will come back and rebuild. Because this is Los Angeles and today we are all together: one team, one Los Angeles.'
The speech drew applause from a sparsely attended audience just before the national anthem played.
Players wore t-shirts on the benches and in warm-ups that read 'LA Strong' with a blue outline of the state.
Across town in downtown Los Angeles, the Lakers hosted the San Antonio Spurs in a game that was initially postponed from 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 jerseys in warmups and on the bench, featuring a yellow firefighter cross and the Lakers' L-shaped logo in the center with the inscription “Thank You First Responders.” “.
Members of both teams were affected by the wildfires, which are still ravaging the city and surrounding suburbs.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard announced last week that he would be taking 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 victory.
James Harden (left) and LeBron James (right) wore t-shirts in support of the Los Angeles community.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard (left) and Lakers coach JJ Redick (right) lost their homes in the wildfires.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick and his family were also forced to leave their family home due to the same fire. Redick was on the bench as the Lakers fell to San Antonio 126-102.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who has a home in the Los Angeles suburbs and attended high school in Pacific Palisades, also lost his home.
While the fire was still raging, 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 Los Angeles' 12 professional sports teams: the NBA's Clippers and Lakers, the MLB's Dodgers and Angels, the MLS's LA Galaxy and LAFC, the NHL's Kings and Anaheim Ducks, the Sparks of the WNBA and Angel City FC of the NWSL would combine to donate $8 million to various causes aiding the city's relief efforts.
That donation was widely criticized on social media, with many saying the amount was too low, especially considering five of those teams (the Rams (3), Lakers (8), Clippers (22), Dodgers (24) and Chargers ( 31). )) are among the 40 most valuable sports franchises in the world.
As of Monday night, the death toll from the three wildfires (Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire and Hurst Fire) is 24. The two largest fires, Palisades and Eaton, are both below 30 percent containment .