After the Los Angeles Lakers’ early playoff exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, the front office made a bold move by parting ways with head coach Darvin Ham and hiring JJ Redick, a former NBA sharpshooter without previous coaching experience.
Redick, 40, brings a wealth of basketball knowledge, having played 15 seasons as a shooting guard for six different NBA teams. Since retiring in 2021 with the Dallas Mavericks, he’s transitioned into a successful career as an analyst and commentator for ESPN.
Despite his deep understanding of the game, Redick’s hiring has been met with skepticism, particularly regarding his ability to thrive as a coach in the high-pressure environment of the Lakers. To ease concerns, Lakers legend Magic Johnson has called on fans to give Redick the time he needs to grow into the role.
“We, as Lakers fans, have to give JJ Redick, our new coach, some time to understand how to utilize the talent, how to coach the talent, and then also what schemes will work and what schemes won’t work,” Johnson said during an appearance on KCAL News.
Head coach JJ Redick greets Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers before a press conference. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Johnson also emphasized that Redick would benefit greatly from having LeBron James as the Lakers’ captain. “This is not going to be easy for him, but I think having LeBron as your captain—one of the greatest to lace ’em up—and Anthony Davis, they’ve already shown Lakers fans what they can do in the Olympics,” Johnson added.
Jeanie Buss explains reasons behind JJ Redick’s hiring
In an interview on the “Petros and Money” show on AM 570, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss shed light on the decision to bring Redick on board. “We wanted to kind of think a different way,” Buss explained. “Really, he’s got a vision. I’m not comfortable talking about the basketball stuff, but we were looking for a candidate that would bring something different and really invest in developing young players.”
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Buss emphasized that the Lakers are fully committed to supporting Redick as he embarks on this new chapter. “JJ is the right person for us. Again, I just want his work to speak for itself, so I don’t want to hype it and say it’s gonna be a home run. We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish. He knows what this league is about, and I think he’ll be a great leader.”
Shaq criticizes Lakers’ decision to hire Redick
NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal voiced his concerns about the Lakers’ choice during his podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq. “It’s crazy that a guy with no experience can overshadow someone like Sam Cassell, who’s been in the league for 15 years. No disrespect to JJ, but I think Sam should also get the same consideration.”
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Shaq continued, “I’m happy for JJ, but there’s a lot of pressure. Winning games won’t be enough. The expectation when you take the Lakers job, or the Miami Heat job, is to win championships.”
