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New Lakers player Luka Doncic watches the game from the bench Thursday during a game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Many prominent athletes and entertainers with deep ties to the Los Angeles area have donated large sums to the wildfire relief efforts. The most recent donation, however, is from a superstar athlete who wasn’t even a member of a local team when the fires raged from Jan. 7-31.
Five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic, acquired by the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster trade Feb. 1, announced Monday on Instagram that he has pledged $500,000 through his foundation to fire recovery efforts and that he “plans to work with local organizations to help rebuild play spaces destroyed by the fires.
“We’re committed to helping kids in affected communities get back to playing and being kids,” the Instagram post said.
Nearly a month ago, L.A. sports teams donated a combined $8 million to wildfire relief. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who has lived in Southern California since signing with the Angels in 2018, gave $500,000. Freddie Freeman, a Dodger since 2022, donated $300,000. Chris Taylor‘s CT3 Foundation held a fundraising event and announced on Instagram that it is matching donations up to $5,000.
Read more: Team Luka: A look at the people who are part of Doncic’s inner circle
And the biggest donors were Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, who “dedicated an initial $15 million in emergency funding for the many people impacted by these fires, particularly in the historic, racially diverse community of Altadena,” the city devastated by the Eaton fire.
The FireAid benefit concert on Jan. 30 was held at the Clippers’ home arena, the Intuit Dome, and the Kia Forum, both of which are owned by the Ballmers.
Comments to Doncic’s donation were overwhelmingly positive, and many appeared to be from fans of his from the Dallas area.
“That’s why Dallas loves him so much — because he has a genuine heart. ♥️” wrote one fan.
Read more: L.A. native upset Luka Doncic is a Laker. He’s raising money to protest trade with billboards in…
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Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2025-02-10 20:31:00
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