On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers formally introduced JJ Redick as their new head coach. After the Lakers dismissed Darvin Ham in early May, fans began speculating about the possible influence Lakers star LeBron James had on the decision.
During his introductory press conference with the Lakers, Redick mentioned that he did not speak with LeBron James about the head coaching position until approximately 30 minutes after he was offered the job last Thursday.
“LeBron and I did not talk about the Lakers job. … I knew and had an understanding that he didn't want to be involved in this,” said Redick.
Redick will be the fourth coach for LeBron since he signed with the Lakers in 2018, following Luke Walton, Frank Vogel, and Ham.
“And for me, I didn't want to go down the path of hypotheticals with someone I consider a friend and someone I have a great amount of respect for. For us, it just came down to literally Thursday afternoon. I talked to him for about 15-20 minutes and got off the phone. That was it,” he continued.
JJ Redick hanging up his mic for the Lakers coaching board
Redick also confirmed the end of his highly successful podcast “The Old Man & the Three” and “Mind the Game,” which he co-hosted with LeBron James.
“For the time being, and hopefully it’s a very, very long time, I am excommunicated from the content space, so there will be no podcast,” Redick said addressing the Los Angeles media.
“I am done with podcasting for now,” said the newest Laker head coach.
“We’ll do something when I have a breather from what we have coming up … at some point, we’ll do something for all the people who listened and will have a small little video but I’m done with podcasting for now,” he continued.
The show with LeBron was relatively brief, running for just nine episodes in which they analyzed the Xs and Os of basketball. Many questioned the future of the project, as it's uncommon for NBA coaches to continue podcasting while actively working for a team.
Redick started hosting The JJ Redick Podcast at The Ringer in 2017 while he was still an active NBA player. Following his retirement in 2021, he launched a production company and independently produced The Old Man & the Three with co-host Tommy Alter. This year, he also started hosting Mind the Game with James.
Using LeBron James as a different kind of weapon next season
He also previously shared his plan for LeBron James if he rejoins the team via Shane Young of Forbes Sports, stating, “He and I have joked about this. He shot over 40% from three this year. I want him shooting threes.”
The NBA's all-time leading scorer and oldest active player finished another impressive season, averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. Additionally, he achieved a career-high three-point shooting percentage of 41.0%.
Throughout the 2023-24 season, James’ attempts from beyond the arc averaged a modest 5.1 per game, a decrease from the 7.4 attempts he averaged in the preceding two seasons combined.
Redick, known for his shooting prowess during his 15-year NBA career, is in familiar territory and has adjusted his game over time. At 34 years old, he attempted a career-high 8.0 three-pointers per game during the 2018-19 season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
JJ Redick's NBA career spanned from 2006 to 2021. Following his retirement, he transitioned to a role as a commentator at ESPN. He recently provided commentary for the 2024 NBA Finals featuring the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Now, he's taking on one of the most prestigious roles in the NBA coaching realm despite lacking prior coaching experience.
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