In a chat with the media before tip-off on Thursday, Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke candidly on various subjects relating to the Lakers and the recipe to success for the 2025-26 campaign. Starting with LeBron James, who is on the verge of being the NBA’s all-time leading shot-maker, Redick lauded his body of work as he compared him to iconic American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen.
“I’m a big Bruce Springsteen fan, and I would probably say his early albums really get me going. There’s a youthfulness to him, an energy,” said Redick. “Nebraska is actually my favorite album of all time, and that’s very different from what he had done that far in his career. And then you can kind of see the evolution of him as a singer-songwriter, and then he comes out with the greatest hits, like ‘Wow, this is pretty good.’ And then after that, he comes out with ‘The Rising,’ which is one of the more important albums of the 2000s. You get to the end, and you’re like holy sh*t this guy’s greatest hits are insane.”
Bruce Springsteen is an iconic musician, a 20-time Grammy winner, an Oscar recipient, and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. He enjoyed a 50+ year career in the music industry, releasing a variety of hits that reflect amazing longevity. For Redick, his timeless talent and adaptable music remind him of LeBron’s game on the basketball court, which continues to deliver after 22 seasons.
Next, Redick moved on to Luka Doncic, who is getting dangerously close to hitting the NBA’s technical foul limit. The Lakers coach said that Luka is “aware” of the situation and is trying to avoid picking up any more.
“He’s aware that he’s close,” Doncic added, via Dave McMenamin. “And he’s trying [to not draw more].”
Doncic, 27, is infamous for his short fuse on the basketball court. If he’s not going off on the officials, he’s challenging his own coach, and it has sparked some major tension in the locker room. For Redick, it is essential that he gets Luka to control his outbursts before they become a bigger problem.
Ultimately, at 37-24, the Lakers must finish this season strong to keep their spot in the top six in the standings. With 21 more games to go, the odds are stacked against them, but JJ Redick is doing what he can to tip the scales in his team’s favor. It’s up to Luka and LeBron to set the tone now, and a win tonight could swing the momentum back their direction.
