CHRIS PAUL ISSUES STRONG MESSAGE TO JJ REDICK AFTER HOUSE LOST IN LA WILDERNESS

The Los Angeles Lakers returned to action on Monday night after postponing a pair of games due to the wildfires that are destroying southern California. Things didn't go too well for them, as the San Antonio Spurs destroyed them 126-102, but after the game, Chris Paul made a heartwarming gesture to his former teammate JJ Redick.

Redick, who is Los Angeles' head coach, lost his home to the fires in California. It's understandably been a tough time for him and his family, but he was thrilled to see the Lakers return to action on Monday after having previously said he wanted the team to keep on playing rather than postponing their games.

The Lakers head coach and his family lost quite a lot in the fire, including quite a bit of sports memorabilia that belonged to his sons, Knox and Kai. After the game, Paul and Victor Wembanyama gave Redick's sons their game-worn jerseys, with the legendary point guard reflecting on what the moment meant for him.

"You play a lot of years in this league and some guys are just teammates, but JJ is part of my family," Paul said after the game. "I know a lot of people lost family members, homes, and stuff like that. It just hits different when people are close to you...I actually told him today I wanted to do that for his boys. I know how big of basketball fans they are. It's just a tough situation." 

I asked Chris Paul about JJ Redick and gifting his kids with a jersey postgame: "I know a lot of people lost family members, homes. It just hits different when people are close to you…I told him today I wanted to do that for his boys. I know how big of basketball fans they are."

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— LoJo Media (@LoJoMedia) January 14, 2025

Paul and Redick spent four years playing together on the Los Angeles Clippers, and they became quite close during that time. So, with Redick struggling through a tough time, Paul found a unique way to give back and help his family out by providing his sons with a moment they will never forget

Some things are bigger than basketball, and this is one such instance. Redick and the Lakers may not have gotten the win, but Paul and Wembanyama teamed up after the game to create a moment that Redick and his family will never forget, and that's ultimately what sports should be about.

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- Owen Crisafulli, Athlon Sports

OSAKA SAYS SHE SENT SOMEONE TO GRAB HER DAUGHTER'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE FROM LA HOME

Naomi Osaka - The Canadian Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — While Naomi Osaka is busy competing — and winning — at the Australian Open, she needed to send someone to retrieve her 1 1/2-year-old daughter's birth certificate from their California home in case it got caught up in the wildfires ravaging the greater Los Angeles area.

After a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory against Caroline Garcia of France in the first round at Melbourne Park on Monday night, Osaka said during an on-court interview at Rod Laver Arena that she had learned that there was a fire burning three blocks from her house.

Osaka said she figured it would be a good idea to keep the birth certificate safe. Her daughter, Shai, was born in July 2023 and has traveled with Osaka on the tennis tour.

Osaka announced this month on social media that she and Shai's father, rapper Cordae, had ended their relationship.

“Honestly I don’t think I’ve been doing the greatest keeping focus, but obviously I won, so I think it’s an acceptable job,” Osaka said about dividing her thoughts between Los Angeles and the tournament where she's competing. “It is really difficult for me ... because I find now my home is more of a home because I have memories with my daughter. There’s so many things — keepsakes and stuff like that.”

Osaka wore a black Dodgers hat with “LA” and a red heart stitched on it, along with a purple Lakers jersey to her news conference.

“I’m not there, so I don’t know how bad it is or how bad it’s going to get,” she said. “But I think the biggest thing that I am grateful for is that everyone in my family is safe.”

Osaka added that she doesn't think she will head to Los Angeles right after the Australian Open because, she said, “I don’t feel like it’s safe enough to go back there. It’s kind of a little bit in a limbo — but also motivating me to hopefully stay here as long as I can.”

She is a former No. 1-ranked tennis player who has won four Grand Slam titles — two at the Australian Open and two at the U.S. Open.

Osaka was born in Japan and her family moved to the United States when she was 3. She's been based in Los Angeles for several years.

“Sending all my love to LA. We hear about fires, but I didn't know how devastating it could be,” Osaka said on court. “I hope everyone’s doing well.”

She then wrote “LA” and drew a heart in blue ink on the lens of a courtside TV camera. Other Australian Open athletes, including Coco Gauff and Donna Vekic, have done similar after their matches.

This was the second year in a row that Osaka and 2022 U.S. Open semifinalist Garcia have played each other in the first round at Melbourne Park. Last year, though, Osaka had only recently returned from maternity leave and she lost that match to Garcia.

“It's a really big coincidence,” Osaka said. “It felt a little familiar.”

She got off to a good start this season by reaching the final of a hard-court tuneup tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, although she stopped playing after taking the opening set of that title match because of an injury.

Next at the Australian Open for Osaka will be a matchup against 20th-seeded Karolina Muchova, who was the runner-up at the 2023 French Open but later missed about 10 months of action because of wrist surgery. Muchova advanced by eliminating Nadia Podoroska 6-1, 6-1.

At last year's U.S. Open, Muchova defeated Osaka in the second round.

- The Canadian Press