The Los Angeles Lakers officially have a new head coach. They held an introductory press conference for JJ Redick just a short while after it was reported that the former NBA player would be their next head coach.
For the Lakers, this comes after an exhaustive search to find a head coach to replace the fired Darvin Ham.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley turned down the gig earlier in the process to remain with the Huskies. At this point, it became clear that Redick was the front runner to replace Ham.
It’s an interesting situation in that Redick has absolutely no coaching experience at any level. Sure, playing in the NBA for 15 seasons has to count for something. But there is going to be somewhat of a learning curve on Redick’s part.
Coaching a Lakers team with championship aspirations will add to the pressure for Redick. Is he up for it? We won’t find out for some time. But his intro presser in Southern California was certainly lively.
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Takeaways from Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick press conference
- “Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn. I am a two-time 55 Swish League Champion in the 3rd and 4th grade division. I understood,” Redick told reporters. This was in reference to the Lakers’ previous interest in Hurley. Obviously, Redick is not too upset about being their “second choice.”
- Redick also told reporters in Southern California that his days as LeBron James co-host on a podcast are over. “For the time being, and hopefully it’s a very, very long time, I am excommunicated from the content space. There will be no podcasts,” Redick said.
- Interestingly, Redick also told reporters that he had no conversations with James about the head coach opening. He said that James did not want to be involved in the Lakers’ search for a new head coach. This fits in with a previous report indicating that King James wanted Los Angeles to do what was best for the organization long-term (after he retires). Remember, James can opt out of his contract and hit NBA free agency.
- “I have never coached in the NBA before. I don’t know if you guys have heard that. The expectation is a championship. That’s what I signed up for,” Redick stated. Going from having zero coaching experience to manning the bench for a high-profile NBA team in the second-largest media market in North America is going to bring pressure. It seems as if Redick is more than up to the task of handling it.
- Redick was also asked whether he’s looking to prove misconceptions about him as an NBA head coach wrong. His response was something else.
“It has been a really interesting six weeks or so. Just in terms of being a part of the engagement farming industry,” JJ Redick said when asked about falsehoods he’s looking to disprove. “However, I don’t really have a great answer for your question,because, I really don’t five a fk. Honestly, I want to coach the Lakers. I want to coach the team. I don’t want to dispel anything. I want to become a great coach in the NBA. And I want to win championships. And I want my players to maximize their careers. That’s all I f*ing care about.”
We certainly are looking at a popcorn-worthy time in Southen California with Redick leading the charge. For now, it’s all about what the Lakers do this summer to build a more-talented roster behind James (should he return) and Anthony Davis.
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