Backed by James and Davis, Redick’s Lakers Ambition Goes Beyond Winning a Title

On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced that JJ Redick had been appointed as the team’s head coach, with a press conference held later that afternoon to introduce the 29th head coach in franchise history. On his 40th birthday, Redick embraced the pressure, spotlight, and championship expectations that come with coaching the Lakers.

“Sitting in this seat, I understand the expectations,” Redick said. “The Lakers have the most passionate fan base in the world. The expectation is a championship. So it’s my responsibility, it’s our coaching staff’s responsibility, it’s Rob Pelinka’s responsibility, it’s all of our responsibilities to build a championship-caliber team. That’s why I’m here.” Redick has openly acknowledged his lack of NBA coaching experience – he has never coached above the youth level – but argues that it doesn’t disqualify him from being a head coach.

“I have zero coaching experience in the NBA,” Redick said. “But I would say I’m very experienced. It started 22 years ago when I got to Duke, where I played for Coach K for four years, then I had a 15-year playing career. Honestly, the last three years have been instrumental in preparing me for this moment. Being able to communicate with players, having conversations on podcasts, doing coach interviews on ESPN, broadcasting games, analyzing the game from three different perspectives. All of that has prepared me to be an NBA head coach.”

Pelinka, who also serves as the Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations, explained that the team was looking for a non-traditional coach, someone who could grow with the team, innovate, and adapt. “In our conversations with JJ, it became clear quickly that he had a unique perspective and philosophy on basketball and how to teach it,” Pelinka said. “We share a lot of similar philosophies on basketball, based on high-level strategy, a certain way of communicating and teaching with players. Maybe most importantly, prioritizing player development.”

Despite publicly pursuing UConn coach Dan Hurley, Pelinka noted that Redick was always part of the Lakers’ “Plan A” coaching candidates, with open communication throughout the process. Redick clarified that he had no issue with the Lakers’ pursuit of Hurley, acknowledging the vast difference in coaching experience and résumé. “My ego or feelings were never hurt or bruised during those four days,” Redick said. “Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn. I’m a two-time 55 Swish League champion in third and fourth grade. I get it, right? I understand. Actually, it was after interviewing for the Toronto job last year that I realized I wanted to be an NBA head coach, so I spent a lot of time the last year talking to coaches and GMs, getting their input… I just felt like this was what I was supposed to do.”

As one of the more recognizable candidates for the Lakers’ coaching job, Redick stated that he will no longer host his podcast now that he’s a coach. He also mentioned that he did not speak with LeBron James during the interview process. Redick added that James called him 30 minutes after his hiring, with the pair speaking for 15 to 20 minutes. Pelinka revealed that James “endorsed” the decision to hire Redick but was largely uninvolved in the process. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis was more actively engaged and supportive of Redick, according to Pelinka, with Davis discussing next season’s team strategies with Redick over the phone last week.

“LeBron was very supportive of our process, but he chose not to be deeply involved, and we respected that. Our other captain, Anthony Davis, chose to be deeply involved and was involved quite a bit. I stayed in touch with him throughout, and he was very helpful and gave great advice. He’s very excited about today,” Pelinka said about the Lakers’ decision to hire JJ Redick and its implications for the team’s future. The partnership between Pelinka and Redick will immediately be tested with the NBA draft in two days, followed by the opening of free agency. Pelinka hinted that the team would be proactive in seeking potential roster upgrades through trades – the Lakers will have three tradable first-round picks in the upcoming draft – but acknowledged that navigating the league’s luxury tax penalties could make it challenging.

“JJ is exactly right; our goal is to build a competitive team both in the short term and long term, and we always need to balance those two things. I do think under this system, some trades are more difficult, especially when you have a team over the second luxury tax apron and one over the first. We may go over the first luxury tax apron. Trades aren’t as prevalent as they once were. Will we look for trades that make us a better team? Absolutely. But are the probabilities of those trades as high as they once were? No, it’s a different system. So we must be judicious and thoughtful about it.”

Regarding coaching the Lakers’ two superstars, Redick said he plans to have James – who just finished a season with a career-high 41% three-point shooting percentage – take even more threes and for Davis to have a more prominent offensive role. “One of the ideas I presented was using him as a hub,” Redick said. “There are a bunch of 5s in the league who play this way. I don’t know if he can be used that way, if it maximizes all of his abilities.” Despite Davis and James not attending Redick’s introductory press conference, several Lakers players, including Spencer Dinwiddie, Gabby Vincent, Christian Wood, Collin Sexton, and Max Christie, were present.

Redick emphasized that the Lakers’ title aspirations for next season are “realistic,” pointing to the Celtics, Timberwolves, Mavericks, and Pacers’ playoff successes as examples. “To be honest, I want to coach the Lakers. I want to coach this team. I don’t want to dispel any misconceptions. I want to be a great NBA coach. I want to win championships. I want to maximize my players’ careers. That’s all I care about. I don’t think we’re that far off from being a championship-caliber team with the current roster,” Redick concluded.