JJ Redick went from hosting a podcast alongside LeBron James to being his head coach, as Redick was named to replace the outgoing Darvin Ham. Many have felt that the Lakers went after Redick to appease LeBron as he enters free agency in the summer. Redick has made it clear that James did not speak to Redick until after he had the job offered to him.
“He didn’t provide any advice. LeBron and I didn’t talk about the Lakers job until Thursday evening, about 30 minutes after I was offered the job. That was very intentional on both our parts.”
Redick says he thought LeBron was intentionally staying away from the coaching search, so they didn’t discuss this matter over that time.
“I had an understanding that he didn’t want to be involved in this and for me, I don’t wanna go down the path of hypotheticals with someone that I consider a friend and have a great amount of respect for. For us, it came down to Thursday afternoon, we talked for 15-20 minutes, got off the phone, and that’s it.”
“LeBron and I didn’t talk about the Lakers job” 👀
JJ Redick says LeBron didn't want to be involved in Lakers HC search https://t.co/OW3Lb9pL9y
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 24, 2024
Redick has no experience in this role and fans will be eager to see if he’ll sink or swim with the Lakers. He had lofty ambitions with the franchise, openly discussing his desire to win a title with the franchise as head coach during his introductory press conference. That’s easier said than done, with the Lakers’ offseason transaction cycle yet to begin.
Hopefully, Redick will be surrounded by the right talent to help unleash LeBron and Anthony Davis onto the court as the Lakers look to return to contention.
Redick Took This Job To Coach LeBron And Davis
JJ Redick will be initiated into the coaching world by leading a superstar duo at the top of his roster. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are two of the most gifted players of their generation, with Redick sharing his excitement to coach the pair while appreciating the amazing experiences he’s been able to have in the world of basketball.
“This job was about the Lakers… And it was about LeBron James and Anthony Davis, two of the greatest players ever. I’ve been able to do some incredible stuff in my life. Monday night, I called Game 5 of the NBA Finals. On Thursday, I’m in Cameron… and I am on the phone with Rob and Jeanie, committing to this job as a Duke Hall of Famer. I’ve gotten the chance to do amazing stuff in my life, but this might be the best.”
"This job was about the Lakers… and it was about LeBron James and Anthony Davis, two of the greatest players ever… I've gotten to do some amazing stuff in my life… this might be the best."
JJ Redick on taking the Lakers job 🙌 pic.twitter.com/4WdfDoLmt0
— NBA (@NBA) June 24, 2024
The pressure on Redick to be successful will be immense, especially after the franchise’s reported internal beliefs that the 15-year NBA veteran could take the same path as someone like Pat Riley or Erik Spoelstra.
The NBA Draft is in two days and Redick will be hard at work isolating what prospects he would want on the squad for next season. They also have a pretty significant roster makeover to complete and give themselves a chance at competing for a title, so this press conference might be the last time we hear from Redick until media day in September.
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