In the latest episode of the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James reflected on his team’s first-round elimination and spoke on what role head coach JJ Redick played in their defeat. According to James, Redick still has his full support even after questionable lineup decisions in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“None of us questioned JJ and the coaching staff about what happened. Obviously, Gabe and Vando, guys who have given us so many great minutes, they definitely felt a way because they are competitors,” said James. “We all feel like we can get in and make a moment happen. JJ told us it wasn’t a decision that was based on guys not being able to do the job, it was a decision based on the feeling of the game and the momentum of the game. None of us looked at him or the coaching staff in any way for the decision that he made. Sh*t, it was our fault that we didn’t come through.”
As the replacement for Darvin Ham, JJ Redick brought fresh ideas and a unique perspective on the game to the locker room. What he lacked in experience, he made up for in knowledge with a deep and extensive understanding of basketball tactics.
In his first season as coach, Redick commanded respect in the locker room, and he successfully got his players to buy into his system for winning. Slowly but surely, the Lakers forged a new identity, and their championship habits remained even after the trade for Luka Doncic in February.
The Lakers began the 2025 NBA playoffs as the third seed in the West, fresh off a 50-win season. With LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and JJ Redick on the sidelines, the Lakers were favored to advance to the Semifinals, but they lost to the Timberwolves in 5 games, and now their season is over.
Amid the disappointment, some critics have taken to making Redick the scapegoat, citing his decision not to play key role-players like Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Jaxson Hayes. In the close-out Game 4, Redick played his starters for the entire second half, essentially phasing out half the rotation.
In the heat of the moment, Redick could only trust five players on the team, and many fans feared that it would cause division and doubt in the locker room. Fortunately, LeBron James has answered any concerns, and he’s confirmed that the Lakers are still fully committed to JJ Redick.
According to James, the Lakers players understand that coach Redick’s rotations are not an indictment of skill, but rather a product of whatever the particular situation calls for. Next season, after a busy summer, the expectation is that Redick will have a better roster to work with, which means he should be able to extend his rotation in next year’s playoff run.
With a need for centers, specifically, the Lakers are expected to get bigger this offseason, and it should help them close the gap against other elite teams like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Thunder.
The most important thing of all for the Lakers’ success is a collective buy-in to JJ Redick’s game plan. If they can all rally together and play how Redick wants, it should lead to great results for the Lakers in the years to come.
