The former sharpshooter, who is celebrating his 40th birthday today, insisted he’s ready to take on the challenge of accepting his first official coaching gig. Redick argued that his vast experience as a player in Duke as well as in the NBA, before delving into sports broadcasting, all shaped his basketball mind.
“All that had helped me prepare as an NBA head coach,” he added.
Redick was quick to erase some doubts on his coaching ability and made it clear ot his intentions on the newest chapter in his life.
"I want to coach the Lakers... I want to become a great coach in the NBA, and I want to win championships. And I want my players to maximize their careers.
"I want to coach the Lakers... I want to become a great coach in the NBA, and I want to win championships. And I want my players to maximize their careers. That's all I f*cking care about."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 24, 2024
— JJ Redick 👀pic.twitter.com/C6jlPYJLVX
Two-time NCAA champion Dan Hurley reportedly turned down a six-year, $70 million offer from the Lakers earlier in June to remain at UConn. Ten days later, Redick accepted the job.
Per Redick and Pelinka, there's no lingering ill-will as both revealed they are in "constant communication" throughout the process.
"When the process was going on and we first met in Chicago, I was getting ready to call Game 1 of the NBA Finals when the Dan Hurley news broke," Redick said.
"Rob was quick to call me. We had a great conversation. During that whole four-day period, at no point was my ego or feelings hurt or bruised in any way. I understood."
Redick's coaching experience is confined to volunteering with his sons' youth teams, but he plans to overcome that yawning ga--claiming an encyclopedic basketball knowledge, personal charisma, an experience-packed coaching staff, and an eagerness to innovate.
"My motivation for doing this starts with a very simple foundation of service. I think about the greatest moments, especially towards the end of my career, was about helping players, and so it starts with the desire to serve players, to serve the Lakers organization, to serve our fans.”
"It's also about competition and performance. Collaboration. Leadership. These are the things that drive me and they will all be important as I build out my staff.''
JJ will inherit a Lakers team that is in a race against time to make the the most of its superstar LeBron James, who is set to play in his 22nd season in the league and will turn 40 by the end of the year, while still competing with Anthony Davis.
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The Lakers secured the inaugural In-Season Tournament title early in the competition. LA went on a 3-10 slump in December last year, but closed out the season on the upswing with a 23-10 record. They beat the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In game to become the West no. 7 seed, only to fall to the Nuggets.
[ALSO READ: Jamal Murray sends Nuggets to next round after another game-winner against Lakers]
The Lakers have not won a playoff round in three of four seasons with James and Davis since the 2020 NBA title in the pandemic-era bubble.
“I think in the industry in general and in sports in specific, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in patterns of being in a sea of sameness, and doing the same things everybody else is doing,” Pelinka said.
“When we embarked on this search, it was really important for us to see if we could do something a little bit different.”
He will become the Lakers' seventh permanent coach since Phil Jackson's retirement following the 2010-11 season -- Bernie Bickerstaff served a five-game stint as interim coach during the 2012-13 season -- and fourth since James signed with the team in 2018. But as early as now, the former Duke Blue Devil likes what he envisions for the Purple and Gold squad next season.
"If the Los Angeles Lakers on Day 1 get better every single day, I’m very confident that come April, we will be a championship-caliber team," Redick said.
"You still have to have a lot of stuff go right, and you can’t have a lot go wrong. That’s every single championship team. Just acknowledge that."
As for his “Mind The Game” podcast with James, don’t expect that they would be speaking on microphone together anytime soon.
“For the time being — and hopefully it’s a very, very long time — I am excommunicated from the content space,” Redick said.
"There will be no podcasts. We’ll do something when I have a breather from what I have coming up. I’m gonna be drinking from a firehose for the next month.”"I am ex communicated from the content space, there will be no podcasts..."
— 💥DAO💥 (@TweezySol) June 24, 2024
Jj reddick speaks at press conference for lakers pic.twitter.com/8pI017KTSQ
