The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up for a fresh start after last season’s early playoff exit against the Denver Nuggets. This season marks LeBron James‘ 22nd year in the NBA, and it will also be JJ Redick’s first as head coach. Despite being a rookie in the coaching role, Redick is far from unfamiliar with the NBA, having played as a shooting guard for six teams over a 15-year career.
At 40 years old, Redick has built a reputation as one of the sharpest basketball minds, transitioning into an analyst role with ESPN and launching a podcast, “Mind the Game,” with LeBron James last March. But as the Lakers get ready for the season opener on October 22 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, questions have arisen about the readiness of James and Anthony Davis.
Both James and Davis were key members of Team USA, helping secure a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. However, their heavy minutes in both the Olympics and last season’s grueling playoff run have raised concerns about their physical condition heading into the new NBA campaign.
Despite the outside chatter, Redick remains unfazed about the fitness of his two superstars. During an appearance on Spectrum’s Lakeshow Podcast, Redick downplayed any concerns. “I mean, look, those guys are professionals in every sense of the word,” Redick said. “My concern for them about whether or not they’ll be ready to play on Oct. 22 and be in shape, I don’t have that concern”.
Gold medalists LeBron James and Anthony Davis of Team United States bite their medals. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Redick also emphasized that the coaching staff, including assistant coaches would ensure that James and Davis are in top form. “We’re gonna work with Mike and Ish, making sure that they feel like they’re in a great place to start the regular season,” he added. “They’ll certainly be involved in training camp and preseason games”.
Jeanie Buss explains the decision to hire Redick
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss also weighed in on Redick’s hiring during an interview on the Petros and Money Show on AM 570. Buss offered insight into why the organization chose Redick to lead the team.
“We wanted to kind of think a different way,” Buss explained. “He’s got a vision. I’m not comfortable talking about the basketball specifics, but we were looking for a candidate that would bring something different and really invest in developing young players.”
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Buss made it clear that the Lakers are fully backing Redick as he takes on the challenge of coaching one of the NBA’s most high-profile teams. “J.J. is the right person for us. He knows what this league is about, and I think he’ll be a great leader.”
