Shortly after the end of the NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to part ways with coach Darvin Ham. That was far from a surprise, all things considered, and strongly expected.
Now, they don’t have that many bonafide and proven options to be LeBron James’ next coach. That’s why they might have to pivot and give a rookie coach a chance.
With that in mind, Shams Charania of The Athletic recently reported the league’s worst-kept secret, which is that former NBA player JJ Redick is the leading candidate to get the nod.
The Lakers Are Zeroing In On JJ Redick As Their New Coach
“The Los Angeles Lakers are zeroing in on JJ Redick as the front-runner to be the franchise’s next head coach, league and media industry sources told The Athletic,” wrote Charania. “No final decision has been made yet, and the Lakers still have steps remaining in their head-coaching search process, league sources said. But the indications are strong that Redick is their leading choice at this stage.”
JJ Redick
Redick, who has several podcasts — including one with LeBron James — is currently working as a color commentator for the NBA Finals, so an annoucement would most likely take place after that:
“Redick, a media analyst, is serving as a color commentator for the NBA Finals, which start Thursday night in Boston, fueling belief around the NBA that a potential hiring would officially take place and be announced after the series,” added Charania.
JJ Redick May Have Beef With Shams Charania
Even so, it seems like Redick didn’t actually care for these reports. He didn’t deny or confirm his talks with the Lakers, but claimed that he would deal with Shams after the NBA Finals:
“My focus is on the NBA Finals,” the former sharpshooter said in an appearance on GoJo and Golic. “In terms of Shams, that will be addressed once the season is over. I’ll just say that.”
Redick didn’t want to elaborate but looked clearly disgruntled, adding that he’s only focused on his business obligations at the time. Notably, he wouldn’t be the first to call out the renowned insider.
see also
Austin Reaves takes a big shot at Darvin Ham
Clearly, one of Charania’s reports rubbed Redick the wrong way, and that could lead to an interesting dynamic if he, indeed, ends up becoming the Lakers’ next coach.
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