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 deal with probably the most evident omission on his résumé.

“I’ve by no means coached within the NBA earlier than,” Redick mentioned. “I do not know for those who guys have heard that.”

Redick, whose first day on the job coincided together 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 means of numerous 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 normal 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 will be progressive, not simply on the sidelines, however in shaping the complete group.

“I feel in trade typically and in sports activities in particular, generally it is simple to get caught up in patterns of being in a sea of sameness and doing the identical factor that everyone else is doing,” mentioned Pelinka, who sat subsequent to Redick throughout the information convention. “However once we launched into this search, it was actually essential for us to see if we may do one thing a bit of bit completely different. And shortly in our conversations with JJ, it was very evident that he had a novel perspective and philosophy on basketball and the way it’s to be taught.”

Redick agreed to a four-year contract final week, in accordance with 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 supply from the Lakers, in accordance with Wojnarowski, after Redick had already been concerned in discussions with Pelinka concerning the place.

“Throughout that complete [courtship of Hurley], at no level was my ego or emotions harm or bruised in any manner,” Redick mentioned. “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 realize? 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 mentioned was all the time within the group’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, mentioned his former coach with the Dallas Mavericks, Rick Carlisle, “planted the seed” to contemplate teaching and he turned totally dedicated to the thought after interviewing with the Toronto Raptors for a training place in Might 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 mentioned. “And so the final yr, I spent lots of time speaking to coaches, speaking with GMs, selecting their brains. … I simply felt like that is what I am alleged 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 house,” Redick mentioned. “So there will probably be no podcast. … I am carried out with podcasting for now.”

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

“He did not present any recommendation,” Redick mentioned. “LeBron and I didn’t speak concerning 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 supply the utmost three-year deal for which James is eligible to take him by means of his twenty fourth season within the league, sources instructed ESPN.

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

As for a way Redick will coach L.A.’s two stars, he mentioned he deliberate to have James — coming off a season by 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 mentioned. “There is a bunch of men on the 5 place within the NBA that type of function in that manner. I do not know that he is been utilized in that manner and type of maximized all of his skills.”

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

Redick mentioned it will not simply be Davis and James to get the Lakers again to a degree the place they will add to their 17 titles, however somewhat the energy 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 mentioned that championship expectations for the Lakers subsequent season are “cheap,” regardless of the group coming off a marketing campaign by 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 group,” 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 mentioned. “Like, actually, I wish to coach the Lakers. I wish to coach the group. I do not wish to dispel something. I wish to develop into an awesome coach within the NBA. And I wish to win championships. And I need my gamers to maximise their careers. That is all I f—ing care about.”