LeBron James and the Lakers locker room thoroughly celebrated rookie coach JJ Redick bagging 50 wins and leading the team to a third seed. After beating the Rockets 140-109 in LA’s regular season home finale, Redick showed up to the podium in the press room wearing a green Eagles hoodie and his hair drenched in water.
Redick revealed that the Lakers players had dumped eight ice buckets on him in the locker room, causing up to $17,000 in damages to the floor carpet.
•
Redick’s hiring raised eyebrows across the NBA fraternity, as many believed he didn’t have what it takes because of his lack of coaching experience at any level.
He was merely a “podcaster” with a great understanding of the game in everyone’s eyes. There was tremendous skepticism around his ability to manage a locker room led by James and Anthony Davis initially, who had seen two coaches fired in the span of two seasons, including Frank Vogel, who won the title in 2020, and Darvin Ham, a Western Conference finalist and NBA In-Season Tournament winner.
The Lakers also made a seismic change to their roster by acquiring Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis. Redick ensured it didn’t alter the team’s trajectory as a playoff and championship contender. If anything, the Lakers’ stock as a legitimate threat in the post-season only grew after that.
Ultimately, JJ Redick did what he promised and coached the Lakers to the best of his abilities despite the noise.
“I really don’t give a f**k, honestly” Redick said in his introductory press conference. “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.”
It hasn’t taken long for Redick to find his feet as a “great coach” in the NBA. In a season where accomplished and experienced coaches like Mike Brown, Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins lost their jobs, Redick has expertly handled some of the adversities he’s faced in his rookie year.
Instead of facing rookie coach problems, JJ Redick dealt with similar issues that experienced coaches deal with, and that speaks volumes about the former podcaster’s dedication to the job and will, which is exactly what a team like the Lakers required after years of mediocrity since the 2020 championship run.
alt=”Arhaan Raje” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Arhaan Raje
