For much of the 2025-26 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been inconsistent. However, with the Purple and Gold improving to a 50-26 record following their latest 127-113 win over the fourth-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers, JJ Redick‘s Lakers have asserted themselves as one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
Los Angeles has enjoyed a 17-5 record since the All-Star break, with a dominant 15-2 record in March. Given that the team has enjoyed a 9-1 record in its last 10 games, including a four-game winning streak, things appear to be going smoothly. On that note, during his postgame media availability, JJ Redick revealed exactly why things had been going so well for his team.
“I think it was a confluence of things starting with health,” Redick revealed. “I think it’s much easier when you have a consistent stretch of health to sort of- not buy in, but settle into roles and minutes and rotations. We never found that throughout the season.”
While the Lakers haven’t been debilitated by injury like many teams in the NBA, they have dealt with a fair share of them. With players such as LeBron James and Austin Reaves missing considerable time this season, the Purple and Gold have faced some challenges in building consistency in their rotations.
With a healthy roster, the Lakers have looked more threatening. But JJ Redick noted that there was more to it than just health. With many players embracing their roles on the roster, the team has operated like a well-oiled machine, churning out wins at a crucial point in the season.
JJ Redick Reacts To Consecutive 50-Win Seasons
The impact of players like LeBron James buying into their new roles has been increasingly positive, as the Lakers have successfully notched back-to-back seasons with at least 50 wins. Given that this is a first for JJ Redick, who also marked the 100th win of his coaching career with Tuesday night’s win, it is a special accomplishment that strengthens his position with the franchise.
With his 100th win, Redick became the 16th coach in NBA history to win at least 50 games in his first two seasons as a head coach, joining Lakers’ coaching legends such as Pat Riley (1981-83), Paul Westhead (1979-81), and Butch von Breda Kolff (1967-69). Although this is a feat worth celebrating, JJ Redick had an opposing view.
“Don’t deserve to be mentioned along with Phil or Pat or any of those guys. I’ve got a lot left to accomplish for sure,” Redick stated.
“I’ve had the same staff for the most part of both years. We are resilient, and we are resolved. Part of that is… not willing to quit on a problem that sometimes seems unsolvable. Then it’s just the resolve to win all the time,” he continued. “We’ve got some competitive guys in the locker room, and we’ve got some sick f–ks in the coaching staff.”
The camaraderie Redick shares with his players and coaching staff may be one of the driving factors behind the Lakers’ success this season. Despite the challenges early on, given where the Lakers are at this point in the season, it is evident that Redick managed to overcome them.
With only six games left in the campaign, it is unlikely that the Purple and Gold will be able to climb to second place in the West. Currently set to secure the third seed, the Lakers will aim to close out the regular season with some momentum heading into the postseason.
