In a segment on ‘The Big Podcast,’ 4x NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal gave his honest take on LeBron James’ role in the Lakers head coaching search. On the show, O’Neal scoffed at the notion that LeBron was not involved in the hiring of JJ Redick and he insisted that every important decision was run through the King.
“Yeah I’m starting a website called yeah right/bulls**t.com,” said O’Neal. “Everything goes through LeBron. Everything goes through LeBron and I know that for a fact because when you’re in that position of leadership, you get to know everything. I was in that seat for a long time and nothing went without my permission. The only time something went down without my permission was when they cut my head and traded me. And then Kobe took over, and nothing went down without his permission. So I know that everything that goes on is definitely discussed with LeBron and Rich Paul. It’s professional of him to say ‘We didn’t talk about it’ but yeah, okay, nobody believes that.”
Do you think LeBron and Redick really had no contact during the hiring process? 🤔
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The Lakers fired Darvin Ham shortly after their final playoff game against the Denver Nuggets. What began as a vague and unpredictable coaching search was eventually transformed into a campaign for JJ Redick.
Redick, a 15-year NBA veteran, retired from his playing career three years ago and he’s found great success as a voice in the media on ESPN and his podcast ‘The Old Man & The Three.’ He even began a show with 4x champion LeBron James titled ‘Mind the Game’ where they explained the strategies and nuances of the sport.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Redick emerged as the top candidate for the Lakers coaching job and things progressed quickly to the point where people started to ask questions about whether or not he was the right choice.
According to JJ, he never spoke with LeBron about accepting the position but it’s extremely hard to believe given their relationship and, more importantly, LeBron’s status on the Lakers. Even at 39 years old and on the cusp of retirement, LeBron is still the face of the franchise and they continue to go out of their way to ensure his happiness.
Since breaking out into the NBA superstar that he is, LeBron has had unprecedented control over his teams and has been the catalyst behind some major decisions in the past.
Shaq understands this power dynamic because he experienced something similar during his peak days with the Lakers. He was consulted for every move and the Lakers tried to avoid making any moves that O’Neal might disapprove. It wasn’t until his falling out with Kobe Bryant that his power and status were challenged.
While the Lakers no longer have Shaq or Kobe, they have LeBron James and we’ve seen before how far his team is willing to go in order to appease their signature players. Even at this stage of his career, LeBron has full authority on the Lake Show and you can be sure that they would not have hired JJ Redick without his direct approval.
But now that LeBron’s dream is fully realized, the pressure falls on him and JJ to make it all work. If they cannot prove themselves in the West next season, there will be serious questions about the Redick hiring and about if LeBron’s lead is the one that the Lakers should follow.
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