Many questioned the Los Angeles Lakers’ logic when they hired JJ Redick during the 2024 offseason. The former sharpshooter, color analyst, and podcaster has shown his incredible basketball IQ since retiring from professional basketball.
However, Redick’s lack of relevant coaching experience at the NBA level made it difficult to consider him a candidate for the job at the time. The former The Old Man and the Three and Mind the Game host wasn’t the man many Lakers fans wanted to see leading the charge. At that point, the Lakers just fired a man with the hottest seat in the league as their first head coaching gig.
However, Redick surprised everyone with how well he led LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and now Luka Doncic to finish his first-ever head coaching season with an incredible record.
King James publicly congratulated his head coach the best way he knew how.
LeBron James congratulated JJ Redick for winning 50 games with the Los Angeles Lakers
Ever the social media maverick, James took to social media to give out an emoji-filled congratulatory message to Redick. His message talked about how impressive it was to see him lead the Purple and Gold to play an entertaining brand of basketball.
Per Fadeaway World’s Vishwesha Kumar:
“Man I was going to say something but it’s useless at this point in my career! Anyways more important CONGRATULATIONS JJ on a 50 win season in the WEST & Post Season nod! That’s 🔥🔥🔥🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🫡.”
Redick defied plenty of preseason expectations out of his first NBA season, and he should be considered a heavy contender to win Coach of the Year with the way he maneuvered the Purple and Gold to win games once he found the perfect roster to work with.
While Redick’s first season has already been fantastic, even he understands there’s no greater test to his coaching acumen than postseason basketball. They will be facing the Golden State Warriors in the first round, with their next opponents likely being the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both aren’t easy opponents and should cause plenty of problems for Redick and the Purple and Gold squad.
Redick will be praised for having one of the best coaching debuts of all time, should he make a Finals appearance in his first year coaching for the Lakers.
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