The Los Angeles Lakers won their first Opening Night game since 2016 on Tuesday by defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103. It is the first victory for JJ Redick in his NBA head coaching debut, bringing about instant hope to the franchise by taking care of one of the best teams in the league last season.
The Lakers brought Redick in hoping to change their fortunes from last season despite making very few roster changes. It was the ultimate test to see how much difference a coach could make. And although it’s only been one regular season game, the energy around Redick is extremely high.
Lakers players even welcomed him to the mix by celebrating his first win the way players always celebrate their coaches’ milestones, with a water bottle shower:
If you were wondering why JJ Redick's hair was wet at his postgame presser, it's because the #Lakers celebrated his first win accordingly. 🤣
(via @Lakers) pic.twitter.com/2lwEpmVZti
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) October 23, 2024
In his post-game and post-water bottle shower press conference, Redick spoke about the feelings he had before the game. He specifically recounted a conversation with Gabe Vincent about feeling no nerves ahead of the first game of his coaching career.
“It was awesome,” Redick said. “Gabe [Vincent] and I were talking right before the National Anthem. said, ‘Hey, you know how you feeling?’ He said, “I feel great. I feel clear-minded. How are you feeling?’ I said, ‘I feel great. I feel clear-minded, no jitters.’
“You feel the juice and the energy from it, but it felt comfortable and natural and all that. Again, I’m very fortunate. I’ve said this a number of times. I’m very fortunate that I have the staff that I have and I have the players that I have that I get to coach. I’m very grateful for all of that.”
Of course, this is all just based on one game. A couple of losses could easily shift the momentum in the opposite direction. However, the Redick era in L.A. is off to about as good a start as anyone could have reasonably expected. And his players seem to be behind him with no reservation, the ultimate foundation for a good season.
JJ Redick discusses being self-critical
The new Lakers head coach believes that one reason the team should avoid any drama this season is because JJ Redick is not one to dole out blame for anything. He knows that if the team starts to struggle, he would never point the finger at anyone but himself, and says that self-critical nature is a big part of who he is.
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