LeBron James says the wildfires that have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes have taken a toll on his mental health.

His Los Angeles Lakers had lost three games in a row before their home victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, and James acknowledged the fires had affected him personally. “I have a couple of dear friends that have lost their homes in the Palisades,” James said. “Obviously, my heart goes out to all of the families, all across not only the Palisades, but all across LA county and all the surrounding areas because of the fire. ... It’s been a lot of emotions. Kind of been off. Personally, I’ve been off.

“I’ve just been completely off for obvious reasons, but hopefully things are contained or continue to be contained. And hopefully, at some point, we can start to push forward and move forward and put it behind us and rebuild our city, rebuild this beautiful city.”

The fires have disrupted the Lakers’ schedule, with the team forced into a six-day layoff before resuming play on Monday, while the team’s coach, JJ Redick, lost his home to the fires. James said he hopes the team can offer some comfort for the city.

“I hope that by us going out on the floor and us playing the way we played tonight … and hopefully the next few months or whatever it is, years, until the city is back up, that we as a Lakers franchise and the players that are playing for the Lakers give a sense of hope and pride and excitement,” James said. “Sports has always given people an opportunity to temporarily forget about whatever they may have been going through. And us being such a big part of the LA community – along with a lot of other sports teams, but we know how important the Lakers is to the community – hopefully we can provide that to a lot of families.”

James took time after the game to give one of his wristbands to a girl sitting courtside. He said he hopes such gestures will help the city as a whole.

“I think it will be something that hopefully she will never forget,” James said. “I’m happy to be a part of her life now and that small little moment, but such a bigger moment. And hopefully she brags about it in school.”