Luke Kennard recently shared a lighthearted moment with reporters that quickly caught the attention of basketball fans, especially because it involved a playful comparison with his own coach, JJ Redick.
During a practice session with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kennard was asked about his shooting consistency, particularly how many three pointers he believes he can make out of 100 attempts in a typical catch-and-shoot drill.
Reporter: “Maybe not a guess, but how many threes do you typically hit out of 100? Just catch and shoot, like at a practice? JJ said he knows his number, assumed he would.”
Luke Kennard: “90.”
Reporter: “Is that a good day or that’s kind of average?”
Luke Kennard: “No, that’s a good day. I don’t know, maybe 85.”
Reporter: “Have you ever hit like 100 in a row?”
Luke Kennard: “No.”
Reporter: “Is that a goal?”
Luke Kennard: “No. What did he say?”
Reporter: “He said 88, 89, so like high 80s, yeah, like 88, 89.”
Luke Kennard: “I’d probably be right, just right above him.”
Reporter: “He said he was a better movement shooter.”
Luke Kennard: “I remember playing against him, and yeah, he was very good at his footwork, coming off screens, and shooting. He was very good at that.”
Redick, who built his career as one of the NBA’s most respected perimeter shooters, finished with 1,950 made three-pointers and ranks 24th on the league’s all-time list. Over his career, he averaged 12.8 points per game while shooting 41.5% from three-point range and 89.2% from the free-throw line.
His most prolific scoring season came in 2018–19 with the Philadelphia 76ers, when he averaged 18.1 points while attempting eight threes per game. Earlier in his career, during the 2015–16 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Redick posted his most efficient year from long range, shooting an incredible 47.5 percent from three.
Kennard, however, has quietly built an impressive shooting resume of his own. Known as one of the league’s most efficient floor spacers, he has consistently ranked among the NBA’s best three-point shooters.
This season, he is averaging 8.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting a remarkable 55.4% from the field and a league leading 50.0% from three-point range. He is also converting 91.7% of his free throws. Since joining the Lakers shortly before the trade deadline, Kennard has had an even bigger impact. In 14 games with Los Angeles, he has averaged 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 59.8% from the field and 51.1% from three-point range.
Those numbers highlight why the Lakers viewed him as an important addition for their playoff push.
Currently sitting fifth in the Western Conference with a 39–25 record, Los Angeles finds itself in a tight race with only 18 games remaining. The team is just one game behind the third seed, but also only two games ahead of the seventh seed in the play-in picture.
In such a crowded standings race, shooting specialists like Kennard could prove extremely valuable. His elite efficiency from deep provides spacing for the Lakers’ offense and gives them another reliable scoring option heading into the postseason.
As for the playful rivalry with Redick, it appears to be all in good fun. Still, Kennard’s confidence reflects the mindset of one of the league’s most accurate shooters, even if he is jokingly claiming bragging rights over one of the greatest three-point specialists of the previous generation.
