LeBron James addresses the mental toll of the brand and basks in the fan moment

LOS ANGELES — Speaking for the first time since wildfires in Southern California forced him and his family to evacuate their home last week, LeBron James acknowledged Wednesday that the fires — which have burned through 60 square miles and killed at least 25 people — has taken a mental toll.

“I have a couple of dear friends who lost their homes in the Palisades,” James said after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 117-108 win over the Miami Heat. “Obviously, my heart goes out to all the families, not just across the Palisades, but throughout LA County and all the surrounding areas because of the fire… It’s been a lot of emotions. A little bit off. Personally, I was free.

“I’ve just been completely turned 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 on and put it behind us and rebuild our city, rebuild this beautiful city.”

His team also hasn’t looked like the group that seemingly built momentum just a few weeks ago, winning eight of 11 games and bolstering its roster by trading for a coveted 3-and-D wing in Dorian Finney-Smith.

LA had lost three straight games and trailed the Heat by 12 at halftime when James checked his phone in the locker room at halftime.

A family friend sent him a clip of a young girl sitting courtside in a copy of James No. 23 jersey, who was overcome with emotion when the Lakers star acknowledged her in the first quarter.

“Thank God I was actually looking at my phone at halftime or I wouldn’t have even seen the reaction when I waved to her in the first half,” James said after the game. “I waved to her and then I got back to playing. So to have that type of connection with somebody where they can have that type of reaction, I think that’s what it’s all about. And I’ve always tried to be a role model and someone that kids can look up to … Try to make them proud and want to come see me play, or if they can’t see me play, hopefully some of the things I do off the floor continue to inspire them.”

Maybe that was the connection James needed to rekindle.

He scored 15 of his 22 points after the break — including seven straight in the fourth quarter to extend LA’s lead from two with 3:51 left to nine with 1:52 left — and the Lakers held on to beat Miami.

“His comfort level in finishing the basketball game is obviously very high,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick – one of James’ friends who lost their home in Pacific Palisades.

On Monday, the first game the Lakers played after a six-day hiatus due to the fires, LA lost 126-102 and were outscored by 33 points in the second half by the San Antonio Spurs. At shootaround in preparation for the Heat game, Redick said he challenged his entire team to provide better leadership in their own way. LA responded with a team effort, with James one of six players to score 14 points or more in the win.

James said the Lakers’ performance against Miami, and more similar games in the future, is something he wants Los Angeles to be able to draw some positivity from.

“I hope we go out on the floor and play the way we played tonight — not the way we played against San Antonio — but the way we played tonight and hopefully the next couple of months or whatever it is, years until the city remains that we as a Lakers franchise and the players who play for the Lakers provide a sense of hope and pride and excitement,” James said. “Sports have always given people an opportunity to kind of temporarily forget everything they might have been through. And we’re such a big part of the LA community — along with a lot of other sports teams, but we know how important the Lakers are to the community — hopefully we can give it to a lot of families.”

After the final buzzer, James rushed over to the girl sitting courtside before she and her family left the arena. He took off one of his I Promise bracelets and placed it on the girl’s wrist and knelt down on one knee so his 6-foot-9 body would fit into the frame next to her as they posed for a photograph .

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