The hiring of JJ Redick was met with vast approval from Lakers fans, but it was also a major risk given his youth and lack of coaching experience. On his podcast, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal revealed that he wouldn’t have even played for Redick had he been coach when he was on the Lakers.
“You have LeBron’s respect, what about the other guys? That’s going to be the test,” said O’Neal. “I don’t think I could play for a guy who I just played against four or five years ago. No disrespect to JJ, but I think Sam should also be able to get the same looks.”
Shaquille O’Neal has more authority than most to speak on what’s happening with the Lakers. He’s a legend of the game and an icon for the Lakers franchise. In eight seasons in Los Angeles, the Diesel averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, He won three championships alongside Kobe Bryant and secured Finals MVP all three years.
During his stint with the Purple and Gold, O’Neal played mostly under the legendary Phil Jackson, who had years of experience coaching Michael Jordan and the Bulls to six championships. Like most players at the time, O’Neal had great respect for Phil and he tried his best to follow his lead and play how he wanted him to play.
Fast forward to today, and the current man in charge of the locker room is former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick. When it was time to pick a new coach this summer, the Lakers initially pursued UCONN men’s coach Dan Hurley before eventually moving to Redick, who signed a 4-year, $32 million deal with the team. His modest career in the NBA earned him the respect of his peers and his tenure in the media (on ESPN and his podcast with LeBron James) allowed the world to see the extent of his basketball knowledge.
While it was enough to grant him the trust of Rob Pelinka and team governor Jeanie Buss, Redick may have a harder time getting the players to buy in. It’s only been three years since he retired and many of the players active today have played against Redick at some point during his 15-year career.
At 40 years old and just a few years removed from NBA action, some Lakers players might see Redick as more of their equal than as the guy running the show. By Shaq’s own admission, he’d have trouble playing for Redick knowing that he was facing off against him mere seasons earlier.
Needless to say, it will be a challenge for JJ to earn the respect of his players but it’s not much different than any coach’s first year on the job. The key to success for the Lakers will be utilizing the roster to maximum efficiency and ensuring that every player knows their role and their place on the team.
No matter how they feel about Redick, winning games will get everyone to fall in line and it will validate the Lakers’ decision to hire him over a field of worthy candidates.
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