After an early playoff exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers made a bold move by replacing head coach Darvin Ham with former NBA player JJ Redick—who has no prior coaching experience. Shaquille O’Neal, never one to shy away from a hot take, expressed concern over the Lakers’ choice, predicting a difficult start to the season.
In a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, Shaq was asked about how he sees the Lakers faring under Redick’s leadership. The Hall of Famer didn’t mince words, expressing doubts about Redick’s lack of experience.
“I think they’re going to have a rough start, personally,” Shaq said. “LeBron and AD will do a great job of keeping everyone in line, but I’ve always said that if you truly respect your coach, you’ll go out and play hard for them.”
Shaq went on to compare Redick’s situation to his own playing days, when he had to trust the decisions of seasoned coaches. “I was fortunate to play for guys like Phil Jackson and Pat Riley—coaches who knew what they were talking about,” he added. “No disrespect to other coaches, but there were times when I’d think, ‘I don’t know if that’s going to work.’”
Head Coach Pat Riley of the Miami Heat chats with Shaquille O’Neal #32 during a break in the action against the Los Angeles Lakers. Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images
O’Neal also questioned whether Lakers players would fully buy into Redick’s system in his first year at the helm. “When you get a coach like that, the antenna is already up. My question is: Will the antennas of the players be up when JJ Redick talks? We don’t know, but we’ll see.”
Magic Johnson calls for patience from Lakers fans
Lakers icon Magic Johnson is urging fans to give Redick time to adjust in his new role. Speaking on KCAL News, Johnson emphasized that success won’t come overnight.
“We, as Lakers fans, have to give JJ Redick time to figure out how to utilize the talent and learn what coaching strategies will work,” Johnson said. “It won’t be easy, but having LeBron James as the captain—one of the greatest players ever—and Anthony Davis will definitely help him.”
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Shaq expresses concern about veteran players accepting Lakers’ new coach JJ Redick
Jeanie Buss explains why JJ Redick was hired
In an interview on the Petros and Money show on AM 570, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss explained the organization’s decision to hire Redick as the head coach, despite his lack of experience.
“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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Jeanie Buss breaks silence on Lakers not making many moves apart from drafting Bronny James
With the spotlight shining brightly on Redick, it remains to be seen how the Lakers will perform under his guidance. For now, Shaq, Magic, and Lakers fans will all be watching closely as the season unfolds.
