'Scary' Los Angeles Earthquake Doesn't Rattle ESPN Studio Host
By Joe Lago
![Mar 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; ESPN sideline reporter Malika Andrews during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Mar 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; ESPN sideline reporter Malika Andrews during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_8001,h_4500,x_0,y_153/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/thebiglead_en_international_web/01j545seq3b1hdkjqpkj.jpg)
When you live in the major metropolitan areas of California, you'll have to tolerate traffic. When you live anywhere in the state, you'll have to deal with earthquakes. Both are just a way of life in the Golden State.
At 12:21 p.m. PT on Monday, a larger than usual quake shook Los Angeles. It registered 4.4 on the Richter Scale and was centered in Highland Park, setting off earthquake alert apps on the phones of Angelenos (myself included).
Quakes can hit during the most inconvenient moments (I'm not sharing those stories). "NBA Today" host Malika Andrews happened to be in ESPN's downtown L.A. studios during Monday afternoon's earthquake, and she handled the moment with great poise.
ESPN Los Angeles studio shaking from an earthquake during NBA Today and Malika Andrews handled it like a pro. pic.twitter.com/KPGndlCx01
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 12, 2024
Andrews was in the middle of a segment with analyst Rebecca Lobo when the studio began to shake. Andrews remarkably kept calm as the camera swung wildly, announcing to the audience that "We have a bit of an earthquake here in Los Angeles."
In that moment, the instincts of non-California natives would probably be to run (a major no-no). Andrews kept her balance and immediately went into earthquake monitor mode to make sure everything and everyone was OK.
"Everybody good?" Andrews asked. "OK, thank you so much for bearing with us through that."
Lobo had a look of complete astonishment after Andrews confirmed the earthquake. The former WNBA star gave Andrews props for keeping her cool.
I was stunned by both the earthquake and how @malika_andrews handled it like a boss. Wow. https://t.co/WZeRWsRUpb
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) August 12, 2024
It shouldn't be surprising that Andrews acted as calmly as she did. The 29-year-old grew up in Northern California in Oakland, where the San Andreas Fault regularly reminds locals of its looming presence.
But even Andrews thought Monday's quake was "a scary moment."
"Stay safe, fellow Angelenos," she wrote on X.
Definitely a scary moment here in our LA studios. Thank you to our incredible staff and crew who stayed cool throughout!
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) August 12, 2024
Stay safe, fellow Angelenos. https://t.co/8vyrVbqJ2b