The Los Angeles Lakers officially have a front-runner for the Head Coach position. The next Head Coach shockingly looks to be JJ Redick.
JJ Redick has no prior coaching experience. He’s never been an assistant or Head Coach at any level of basketball, but he played from 2006-2021, including a notable stint with the Lakers’ crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers. He also hosts a podcast with Lakers superstar LeBron James, which makes him even more familiar with the team and their situation.
The Los Angeles Lakers fired former Head Coach Darvin Ham following a second straight elimination from the postseason at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. The organization felt like changes needed to be made immediately. It’s likely they think that somebody who’s on friendlier terms with the big-time players would be best for this situation.
Redick would be a notable big-name hire that would capture the headlines. Making flashy moves to capture the headlines is something that the Lakers are known for. He was a highly accomplished player who could potentially be the next great coaching hire.
Los Angeles Lakers Have Tried This With Mixed Results
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There had been rumors that the Los Angeles Lakers were interested in JJ Redick. He’s got a great friendship with LeBron James, which in the past has certainly been helpful for other coaches in their ability to get the most out of him. In addition, their podcast has certainly gotten lots of attention and shown off Redick’s incredible basketball IQ.
This would be far from the first time that the Lakers hired a former basketball with a great basketball IQ as well as a familiarity with the Los Angeles market. Pat Riley is arguably the greatest coach in Los Angeles Lakers history and also played for the Lakers. Byron Scott was the coach of the Lakers from 2014 to 2016 and was one of the stars of the Showtime Lakers in the 1980s, and Luke Walton was another former Laker who coached the team.
Hiring a Head Coach with playing experience managed to produce championships under Riley in the 1980s. It’s also produced the worst records in franchise history under Byron Scott and Luke Walton. The Lakers will certainly be hoping for results closer to what they saw under Riley instead of what they saw under Scott and Walton.
While Redick never played for the Los Angeles Lakers, he did play for the Los Angeles Clippers in the same arena that the Lakers play in. As a member of the media with ESPN as well, he’s extremely familiar with the pressure that will come with coaching the Los Angeles Lakers. All of this will work heavily to his advantage.
Is JJ Redick The Right Candidate for the Job?
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While Darvin Ham led the Lakers to the playoffs on multiple occasions, it was obvious that his time with the team was drawing to a close during this latest postseason run. At the same time, the Lakers do have other candidates that they should look at. JJ Redick doesn’t have any coaching experience, so that could work against him.
JB Bickerstaff was just unceremoniously fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers after getting them to their deepest postseason run without LeBron James since 1993. Becky Hammon is a multiple-time WNBA Champion as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Aces and served as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs from 2014-2022. Another big name out there is Sam Cassell, another ex-NBA player who’s been an assistant coach since 2009 with multiple teams, including the Boston Celtics.
Going after a former player who has no coaching experience at any level, even as an assistant coach, has to be a massive gamble. It’s hard not to think that Redick would be getting the job because of his friendship with LeBron James more than anything. Nobody knows if Redick would be good at the job.
Getting a head coach with at least experience as an assistant coach might be the better move in the long run. Redick would be able to stay with ESPN and keep his podcast with LeBron without losing any of that. In addition, the Los Angeles Lakers wouldn’t have to worry about having a player-coach podcast after losses.
About the Author
Alex is a writer at Total Apex Sports and Total Apex Gaming. He’s a loyal fan of many teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco Giants. You can find him on X at @alex_furtotti
