LOS ANGELES – JJ Redick was introduced Monday as the Lakers new coach, quipping about his well-documented lack of prior coaching experience but insisting he is committed to being a teacher of players and delivering “a championship-caliber team.”
Redick’s only coaching experience was with his son’s youth team.
“I have never coached in the NBA before. I don’t know if you guys have heard that,” Redick joked after he was introduced by Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka at the team’s El Segundo training facility, drawing chuckles from some of the gathered media. “My motivations for doing this, it 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.”
A.J. Hawk. Since March, he has hosted “Mind the Game” with Laker star LeBron James.
Redick was thought to be the front-runner from the start of the search to find a successor to Darvin Ham, who was fired May 3, four days after the Lakers’ season ended when they lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
The Lakers then offered the job to University of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley, who turned down what was widely reported to be a six-year, $70 million contract.
Redick becomes 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.
“`I’m cautiously optimistic that this new hire is a success for both the Lakers and JJ Redick,” Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson posted on social media Thursday. “I enjoyed watching him as a player — great 3-point shooting, high basketball IQ, passion for the game, and mental and physical toughness.
“If he can bring how he played professionally to the Lakers — this could work out! But will his transition from star basketball player to head coach end up like Steve Kerr, Jason Kidd, Ty Lue, or Doc Rivers or the former NBA players turned coaches who weren’t successful?”
