A New Era in LA 🏀
While it’s a risky hire, you can’t fault the Lakers for taking a big swing…
After weeks of NBA rumors, the Los Angeles Lakers finally landed on JJ Redick as their next head coach. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to drop the major NBA news.
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This comes after the Lakers waited weeks to hire a head coach which included interviews with James Borrego and Dan Hurley. Many will point to LeBron James as the reason why Redick got the job but it’s worth noting that he’s been linked to several other head coaching jobs in the past.
ESPN Sources: JJ Redick has agreed on a four-year contract to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Rob Pelinka offered job this morning and Redick’s started working on a staff to surround himself with experience. pic.twitter.com/G66eVFRALp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2024
Just because the Lakers were the team to finally pull the trigger doesn’t mean another team wouldn’t have eventually. This was a long process for Los Angeles but they were able to get Redick in place before the NBA draft.
Redick landed a four-year contract from the Lakers that will pay him around $8 million per season, which shows that they’re committed to him. The former guard has been the last few years as a member of the media and has impressed people with his basketball knowledge. It hasn’t been a secret that he’s been interested in coaching and he’ll now be the latest coach to try and get the Lakers back to the NBA Finals.
Was This the Right Hire by the Lakers?
There’s a level of risk that comes with hiring Redick as head coach. He has no coaching above the youth level and he has played against many of the players on the team’s roster. It’ll be interesting to see if he can command the respect of players.
JJ Redick was drafted three years AFTER LeBron
Redick retired in 2021 and is now coaching LeBron ahead of his 22ND SEASON as a player 🤯 pic.twitter.com/hDTBTpeC9r
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 20, 2024
There’s no denying his basketball knowledge. He was smart as a player and hasn’t cooled on his love of basketball since retiring. He’s now going to be leading the NBA’s marquee franchise. That’s a lot of pressure on any coach, especially one with limited experience.
While it’s a risky hire, you can’t fault the Lakers for taking a big swing. Outside of Dan Hurley, there weren’t many appealing options to the team. Redick could be awful but he could also be an amazing head coach.
The last 5 years for JJ Redick:
• Played with Pelicans
• Launched a media company
• Signed with Mavs
• Launched a podcast
• Signed with ESPN
• Moved to ESPN’s #2 broadcast team
• Moved to ESPN’s #1 broadcast team
• Launched a podcast with LeBronNow: Lakers head coach.… pic.twitter.com/rjgW23Qg7Q
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 20, 2024
The Lakers have struggled to consistently make deep runs in the NBA playoffs due to roster issues. If Redick is a home run as a head coach, he’ll help hide some roster issues. This could blow up in the Lakers’ face but there’s a chance he could be the perfect hire for the team.
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