J.J. Redick's hiring as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers came as a surprise to many fans and analysts who cover the NBA. Here was one of basketball's most storied franchises taking a chance on a rookie coach, two years after making the Western Conference Finals with LeBron James and Anthony Davis -- and one year after winning the inaugural NBA Cup.
But though it is early in the 2024/25 season, Redick is proving himself as a capable coach and leader, especially in a locker room with challenging dynamics. Redick, a 15-year pro who last played in the NBA in 2021, is showing that he is always up for a confrontation -- and that he is not afraid to go after a legend like LeBron.
On his show "Podcast P", Philadelphia 76ers superstar Paul George revealed how Redick convinced Lakers brass to hire him as Darvin Ham's replacement over the summer.
After his playing career ended, Redick joined ESPN as an analyst and broadcaster -- a position that allowed him to debate the network's leading personality, Stephen A. Smith. Those heated debates with Smith played a significant part in convincing Lakers leadership -- including general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss -- to hire Redick.
"He is very good at confrontations and you need a strong coach that's built for confrontation," George explained.
However, from speaking with Redick, George also understands that the former sharpshooter is a genuinely forward-thinking basketball mind who will bring a lot to the Lakers this season. So far, so good -- Los Angeles is 4-2 and visits the Detroit Pistons on Monday night in a game that Redick's men are favored to win.
"That team has bought into him," George said. "They trust him, and they believe in him. That's one of the biggest things, especially when you have a megastar like LeBron and (another star in) Anthony Davis on your side and those guys buy into you from jump. (It) says a lot about (Redick's) presence there."
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