LOS ANGELES (AP) — JJ Redick is being employed as the top coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an individual with information of the choice tells The Related Press.
The particular person spoke on situation of anonymity Thursday as a result of the Lakers hadn’t but publicly introduced the choice to rent the previous guard for his first teaching job.
The 39-year-old Redick is a rare alternative by the Lakers, who employed a 15-year veteran with completely no teaching expertise to steer a franchise with 17 NBA titles, one of many greatest model names in world sports activities — and LeBron James, the highest scorer in league historical past.
Redick was a proficient outdoors shooter for six groups earlier than his retirement in September 2021, when he moved right into a profession in broadcasting and podcasting. He joined ESPN’s lead commentary group earlier this 12 months.
ESPN first reported the choice.
Earlier than Redick completed broadcasting the NBA Finals, he met with the Lakers final weekend and apparently did effectively sufficient to finish the franchise’s prolonged teaching search. Lower than two weeks after UConn coach Danny Hurley turned down the Lakers’ ardent advances, Redick has accepted the job in a outstanding three-year journey from the courtroom to the published sales space to the Lakers’ bench.
Redick replaces Darvin Ham, who was fired Could 3 regardless of main the Lakers to 2 playoff berths and a Western Convention finals look in 2023.
Redick started recording a daily podcast with James two months in the past, and their “Thoughts the Sport” collaboration is already wildly in style, with listeners typically rising impressed by the duo’s basketball acumen and high-level dialogue of ways and motivation.
Now these two minds will probably be working collectively for the Lakers, with Redick main a roster headlined by James, who’s six months youthful than Redick.
Every little thing is contingent on James deciding to return to play with Anthony Davis and the Lakers, after all. James, who will enter his twenty second NBA season this fall, may decline his $51.4 million contract choice this month to change into a free agent.
However hiring Redick appears to be one other calculated transfer by the Lakers to maximise their possibilities of holding the 20-time All-Star and the driving drive behind their 2020 championship group.
Redick’s teaching expertise is proscribed to his youngsters’s youth groups, however he has been across the recreation his whole life. He’s the main scorer within the historical past of Duke, the place he performed 4 seasons below Mike Krzyzewski.
And although Redick is an unorthodox alternative, his unlikely ascent will not be with out some precedent in Lakers lore and up to date NBA historical past.
Pat Riley was a broadcaster for the Lakers in November 1979 when Paul Westhead took over as their head coach after Jack McKinney almost died in a bicycle accident. Westhead employed Riley as an assistant with out teaching expertise, and Riley turned the Lakers’ head coach in late 1981 after Westhead clashed with Magic Johnson.
Riley promptly led the Lakers to 4 championships within the Nineteen Eighties to start his unimaginable profession as a coach and government.
After which there’s Steve Kerr, the previous capturing guard and Phoenix Suns government who had by no means coached earlier than he took over at Golden State in 2014. Kerr has led Stephen Curry’s Warriors to 4 championships and 6 NBA Finals appearances prior to now decade.
Redick’s arrival ends one other uncommon offseason teaching seek for proprietor Jeanie Buss, basic supervisor Rob Pelinka and the Lakers, who’re hiring their eighth head coach since Phil Jackson’s ultimate departure in 2011, and their fourth since James arrived as a free agent in 2018.
Los Angeles wanted six weeks to decide on Ham in the summertime of 2022, however the longtime assistant coach was dismissed after the Lakers misplaced to defending champion Denver within the first spherical of the Western Convention playoffs.
Ham led the Lakers to 2 profitable seasons and a victory within the inaugural In-Season Event final 12 months, however many followers and observers — and, clearly, the Lakers’ entrance workplace — weren’t impressed by his management or preparation.
Davis memorably stated in the course of the playoffs that the Lakers “have stretches the place we don’t know what we’re doing on each ends of the ground.”
The Lakers employed Ham after firing Frank Vogel, who had been fired precisely 18 months after he received a title within the Florida bubble. Vogel changed Luke Walton after one other lengthy teaching search during which the Lakers have been broadly reported to have needed Tyronn Lue, just for a deal to collapse over points with cash and management.
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