Chris Finch didn’t hold back at the live taping of The Zach Lowe Show this week. The Timberwolves head coach, who eliminated JJ Redick and the Lakers in the first round last season, took a subtle jab at Redick’s rise to head coach by mocking the podcast-to-coaching pipeline.
“I mean, it’ll qualify you to coach the Lakers,” Finch joked, after suggesting a few audience members might go home and start a podcast.
Wolves coach Chris Finch on podcasting:
“I mean, it’ll qualify you to coach the Lakers.”pic.twitter.com/xdbvMbMkUU
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 14, 2025
It was a quick line, but the shot was clear. Unlike Finch, who had to work his way up the traditional way, Redick landed his coaching gig by very unconventional means.
While he has plenty of playing experience in the NBA, Redick never coached at a high level before accepting the Lakers’ job. It was largely through LeBron James’ endorsement, and the exposure he gained on the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast, that he got the Lakers’ attention. If not for those factors, he might have been entirely overlooked.
In fact, Redick wasn’t even their first choice. Initially, they wanted to hire UCONN men’s coach Dan Hurley, but they had to pivot after he rejected their offer. Based on LeBron’s recommendation, they settled on Redick despite having no prior experience.
Given the Lakers’ win-now timeline, the hire was a massive risk at the time, but it’s already paid off. Redick has been fantastic in the role so far, living up to the Lakers’ high standards with numerous wins early in his tenure.
His schemes, locker room voice, and connection with the team have all been strong, as several players have raved about his impact. As a true student of the game, Redick’s knowledge has helped expand the Lakers’ potential while bringing out the best in Luka Doncic, who is having a career year with averages of 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game on 47.6 percent shooting.
This season, at 8-4, Redick once again has the Lakers in a solid position. With LeBron James set to return and Doncic getting more comfortable every game, this team could be on the verge of a historic season.
As for Finch, he still has some bragging rights over Redick after their clash in the playoffs last spring. In the series, which the Lakers lost, JJ showed some of his inexperience, and the Wolves’ coach will never let him forget it.
In the end, while this is just playful banter between two respected coaches, it does reflect how some Lakers fans were feeling about the Redick hire. The safe pick would have been someone who spent years coaching at the NBA level. Instead, they took a risk, and so far, it looks like it was the right one.
That won’t stop the people from having their doubts, but as long as Redick keeps winning, the last laugh will always belong to him. He might not have followed the traditional coaching path, but results speak louder than resumes. If the Lakers keep trending upward, even the harshest critics will have no choice but to respect the job he’s done.
