JJ Redick acknowledges inexperience, shares vision for Lakers

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — JJ Redick was launched because the Los Angeles Lakers’ coach Monday and the current podcast host and NBA tv analyst was fast to handle essentially the most obtrusive omission on his résumé.

“I’ve by no means coached within the NBA earlier than,” Redick stated. “I do not know if you happen to guys have heard that.”

Redick, whose first day on the job coincided along with his fortieth birthday, retired from a 15-year enjoying profession in 2021. After starring at Duke College and scoring the Twentieth-most 3-pointers in NBA historical past, he stayed related to basketball by way of varied media retailers, together with co-hosting a podcast with LeBron James, “Thoughts the Recreation,” and calling the NBA Finals for ESPN and ABC.

Lakers vp of basketball operations and common supervisor Rob Pelinka countered by saying that “NBA head-coaching expertise and NBA expertise aren’t mutually unique issues,” and praised the previous capturing guard as somebody who might be modern, not simply on the sidelines, however in shaping your entire group.

“I believe in business basically and in sports activities in particular, generally it is easy to get caught up in patterns of being in a sea of sameness and doing the identical factor that everyone else is doing,” stated Pelinka, who sat subsequent to Redick through the information convention. “However once we launched into this search, it was actually necessary for us to see if we may do one thing somewhat bit completely different. And rapidly in our conversations with JJ, it was very evident that he had a singular perspective and philosophy on basketball and the way it’s to be taught.”

Redick agreed to a four-year contract final week, in response to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

In between Video games 2 and three of the Finals, College of Connecticut males’s basketball coach Dan Hurley turned down a six-year, $70 million provide from the Lakers, in response to Wojnarowski, after Redick had already been concerned in discussions with Pelinka in regards to the place.

“Throughout that entire [courtship of Hurley], at no level was my ego or emotions damage or bruised in any means,” Redick stated. “Dan Hurley is a two-time nationwide champion at UConn. I’m a two-time 55 Swish League champion within the third- and fourth-grade division. Like, I understood, you already know? I understood.”

The Lakers, having additionally interviewed James Borrego in particular person and mentioned the job opening with Sam Cassell of the Boston Celtics, David Adelman of the Denver Nuggets and Micah Nori of the Minnesota Timberwolves, shifted their search again to Redick — whom Pelinka stated was at all times within the staff’s “Plan A pool” of candidates.

Redick, whose manufacturing firm signed a multimillion greenback distribution take care of Wondery and Amazon Music for his “Outdated Man and the Three” podcast in 2022, stated his former coach with the Dallas Mavericks, Rick Carlisle, “planted the seed” to contemplate teaching and he turned absolutely dedicated to the thought after interviewing with the Toronto Raptors for a training place in Could 2023.

“It was actually after I interviewed for the Toronto job final yr that I knew that I wished to be a head coach within the NBA,” Redick stated. “And so the final yr, I spent a number of time speaking to coaches, speaking with GMs, selecting their brains. … I simply felt like that is what I am purported to be doing.”

His podcast with James, which debuted in late March, will probably be shuttered.

“In the meanwhile, and hopefully it is a very, very very long time, I’m excommunicated from the content material area,” Redick stated. “So there will probably be no podcast. … I am achieved with podcasting for now.”

The 39-year-old James, whom Redick known as a “buddy,” maintained his distance through the interview course of.

“He did not present any recommendation,” Redick stated. “LeBron and I didn’t discuss in regards to the Lakers job till Thursday afternoon about half-hour after I used to be provided the job. And that was very intentional on each our elements.”

James has till June 29 to choose in to the ultimate yr of his contract with the Lakers or develop into an unrestricted free agent. L.A. is dedicated to re-signing James and would provide the utmost three-year deal for which James is eligible to take him by way of his twenty fourth season within the league, sources informed ESPN.

Pelinka stated James was “supportive” within the Lakers’ search however “selected to not be closely concerned.” Lakers heart Anthony Davis “selected to be very concerned,” nonetheless, in response to Pelinka and was “very excited” for Redick’s hiring.

As for a way Redick will coach L.A.’s two stars, he stated he deliberate to have James — coming off a season during which he shot a career-best 41% past the arc — to shoot extra 3s and to have Davis management extra of the offense.

“One of many issues I introduced up with him is simply the thought of him as a hub,” Redick stated. “There is a bunch of fellows on the 5 place within the NBA that type of function in that means. I do not know that he is been utilized in that means and type of maximized all of his skills.”

Neither Davis or James had been readily available for Redick’s introductory information convention, nonetheless a handful of Lakers gamers had been, together with Spencer Dinwiddie, Gabe Vincent, Christian Wooden, Colin Castleton and Maxwell Lewis.

Redick stated it will not simply be Davis and James to get the Lakers again to some extent the place they’ll add to their 17 titles, however reasonably the power of their group — pointing to the success that the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers had within the postseason this spring.

Redick stated that championship expectations for the Lakers subsequent season are “cheap,” regardless of the staff coming off a marketing campaign during which it completed because the No. 7 seed within the Western Convention and misplaced in 5 video games to the Denver Nuggets within the first spherical.

“I do not take a look at the present roster as being that far off from a championship-caliber staff,” he added.

After getting forward of his lack of teaching expertise earlier than any reporter questioned it, Redick was requested if there have been any “misconceptions” about him that he observed within the protection of his candidacy that he wished to clear up.

“I actually do not give a f—,” Redick stated. “Like, truthfully, I need to coach the Lakers. I need to coach the staff. I do not need to dispel something. I need to develop into an amazing coach within the NBA. And I need to win championships. And I would like my gamers to maximise their careers. That is all I f—ing care about.”