What a total mic drop for JJ Redick.
It’s not just the colorful language he used during his introductory press conference as the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. He has literally dropped microphones, headsets, and all forms of sound equipment, trading in his seat as ESPN analyst and his spot on the “Mind the Game” podcast with Lakers superstar LeBron James for the big chair on the bench of the most successful team in Los Angeles.
Vocabulary aside, Redick’s circuitous route to the job isn’t at the forefront of his thoughts. He and Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka are interested in winning the next championship, No. 18.So when asked how he planned to go about dispelling misconceptions or concerns about himself that had been bandied about in the media—social and mainstream—in the time leading up to him accepting the job, said Redick: “It’s a valid question and I certainly heard everything. It’s been a really interesting six weeks or so, just in terms of, you know, being part of the engagement-farming industry.
“But I really don’t have a great answer for your question because I really don’t give a [expletive], honestly.”
The response drew chuckles from the throng of reporters, players, and others attending the media session, but Redick didn’t flinch.
“I want to coach the Lakers,” Redick said. “I want to coach the team. I don’t want to dispel anything. I don’t. I want to become a great coach in the NBA, and I want to win championships. I want my players to maximize their careers. That’s all I [expletive] care about.”
It was a memorable 40th birthday moment for Redick and a departure from the typical coach-reporter banter heard during these mostly straightforward gatherings. Redick features zero experience as a coach in any capacity on the NBA level and is only months older than the NBA’s all-time leader scorer in James.
Pelinka said Redick was in L.A.’s “A Pool” of candidates, but that group included University of Connecticut Coach Dan Hurley. In fact, the Lakers reportedly made Hurley an offer, bumping the former Duke University standout down to second-choice status when he took the job. No hard feelings, said the new coach, who reportedly signed a four-year contract worth in the neighborhood of $8 million a year.
“Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn,” Redick said. “I am a two-time 55 Swish League champion in the third- and fourth-grade division. I understood, you know?”
But Redick is certain to face some drama in Hollywood. And because the coaching game is not just about drawing up plays and mixing and matching to counter moves by opposing coaches, the plot-thickening fodder can come from anywhere. Redick, who has proven himself a cerebral and innovative thinker of basketball, must learn how to manage people.
It’s conceivable that he and one or two of his players might disagree on a particular strategy, or what issues on the team need to be addressed. The minefield might also include members of his own still-to-be-named coaching staff—which the Lakers said will have at least one assistant with head coaching experience—or snarky media figures who probably think they know the team better than he does.
Redick, whose career on the court was good but not great, will have to convince everyone he can perform in certain game situations and get the players to buy in on his metrics-based approach, as well as everything else he is selling.
But Redick’s not the 29th coach in team history just because he had a podcast with James, or because of his continued bond with former New Orleans Pelicans teammate Anthony Davis, the star Lakers big man. Redick said he has been gathering knowledge and experience since his playing days.
“I have zero coaching experience in the NBA, but I would argue that I’m very experienced,” Redick said. “And it started 22 years ago when I went to Duke, and I got to play for Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] for four years [and] spent 15 years as a player [in the NBA].
“Honestly, the last three years have been invaluable in preparing me for this moment—being able to connect with the players, talking to them on the podcast, being in coaching interviews with ESPN, calling games, analyzing the game in three different formats. All of that has helped prepare me to be an NBA head coach.”
Redick won the press conference. There’s no doubt about that. But he needs to win a championship, and there are many doubts about a rookie coach under the brightest lights.
“Sitting in this seat, I know what the expectations are. Lakers fans [are] some of the most passionate fans around the world, and the expectation is a championship. So it’s my job, it’s our staff’s job, it’s Rob’s job, it’s [on] all of us to deliver a championship-caliber team. That’s what I signed up for.”
