LeBron James is never one to mince words, especially when talking about someone he respects, and that was exactly the case when he gave a hilariously raw compliment to his head coach, J.J. Redick, during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
While discussing Redick’s transition from podcast co-host to full-time NBA head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron described Redick in a way only he could:
“Think the best thing about JJ is that he’s just a great podcaster… JJ, he’s just a podcaster that, for some odd reason, became a head coach—and all because of me. It’s just the weirdest thing in the world, and those conversations have died down.”
“But, uh, no, no, I think one thing about JJ is that, man, he bleeds the game and he breathes the game of basketball every single day. He’s one of those guys that, um, it’s kind of just like me.”
“Like, if we lose a game or we didn’t play up to par, there’s no such thing as sleeping that night. There’s really no such thing as sleeping until the next match, until the next game. And he’s just determined to, like—he’s a, he’s a dickhead.”
Naturally, the internet went into a frenzy. But Redick? He took it exactly how it was meant to be.
“I took it as a compliment.”
LeBron’s unfiltered praise wasn’t an insult—it was a nod to the fiery, obsessive nature Redick brings to the job. In LeBron’s eyes, Redick’s no-nonsense, relentlessly detail-oriented personality is exactly what makes him such a good fit on the sidelines.
Their bond runs deeper than just coach and player. Redick and LeBron shared microphones on the hit podcast Mind the Game in 2024, where they built a connection based on mutual respect for basketball nuance.
That chemistry has carried over to the Lakers, who now sit fourth in the West with a 43-28 record despite battling injuries to both LeBron and Luka Doncic throughout the season.
He might be playing around, but there’s some truth to that. Redick’s rise to the Lakers’ head coaching job happened fast, fueled by his high basketball IQ and his growing influence in the NBA media landscape.
While some initially scoffed at the hire, he’s proven his worth quickly, earning the respect of the locker room and turning the Lakers into a well-oiled machine late in the season.
The banter between LeBron and Redick is exactly what you’d expect from two guys who really care. And behind all the laughs and jabs is a shared mentality: win at all costs, obsess over the craft, and never stop learning.
The “dickhead” label, in this case, is a badge of honor, a sign that Redick is relentless, stubborn in the best way, and just as emotionally tied to every loss as his superstar leader.
If this version of LeBron and Redick keeps showing up in April and May, the rest of the league better be on notice. Turns out, being a couple of basketball-obsessed “dickheads” might be the Lakers’ best weapon heading into the postseason.
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