Former Los Angeles Lakers player Jared Dudley recently made headlines for commentary that appeared — on the surface — to be a diss of new L.A. head coach JJ Redick. He spoke about how his dream is to be a head coach in the NBA, but that it won’t come easy for him the way it did for Redick getting the Lakers job.
Redick, of course, had no previous coaching experience at any level other than youth before being hired by the Lakers.
During his time with the Lakers, Dudley was seen as one of the most friendly and likable players in the NBA. His personality and basketball intelligence made him a shoo-in to go into coaching after retirement, and he did so by immediately joining Jason Kidd’s staff with the Dallas Mavericks.
And after his comments made the rounds and got negative internet attention, Dudley took to social media to clarify his point and give praise to Redick and other former players who got instant head coaching opportunities:
JJ is my guy! Great opportunity for him! Jkidd did it so did Steve Kerr and my boy Steve Nash! Very rare opportunity! Ex players ! Gotta love it ! https://t.co/zcE1PlYoYD
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) July 9, 2024
Dudley is not one to publicly criticize others or make comments that could be construed as shots at another player. So when the original video began circulating, it was only a matter of time before he was going to address it on social media.
Dudley did not mean any harm towards Redick with his comments, as he works for a coach that got a similar start in Kidd. It’s likely that Dudley meant that not every former player gets the instant opportunity to be a head coach like Redick, and that for some players it takes time before the right opportunity arises.
The former Lakers veteran is going to be a head coach in the NBA someday, and with everything that’s known about him, he figures to be a very good one.
JJ Redick bids farewell to podcast
JJ Redick announced when he accepted the Lakers head coaching job that he would most likely not continue podcasting as a coach. He gave his final send off to his Old Man and the Three podcast on Monday, saying that everything he has done in the podcasting realm has been based on a love for basketball and that his production company, Three Four Two, will continue that mission even though he is no longer a part of it.
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