It was only a matter of time before JJ Redick became a head coach in the NBA due to his lengthy media career with two successful podcasts and becoming an analyst on ESPN. But when he became a candidate for openings this summer, many did not expect Redick to become a serious candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Before interviewing for the L.A. job, he became heavily considered for the Charlotte Hornets vacancy.
Now that he is officially the Lakers’ next head coach, Redick will have plenty of pressure to succeed with LeBron James and Anthony Davis having limited time left together. However, he has some good people to go to when he needs advice. In fact, he credits legendary Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski for helping him throughout this interviewing process.
“Coach has, since 2004, had a great relationship with the Lakers and the Buss family,” Redick said at his introductory press conference. “He’s very complimentary of the organization. And, truthfully, he was very helpful throughout this process. It started – I didn’t know Coach had Google alerts, or I don’t know how he gets stuff, his news – but I guess somebody tipped him off that I was potentially interviewing for Charlotte. So I was literally flying back from a game and landed at LaGuardia and we talked for 30 minutes that night. I ultimately did not do the full interview there. And kind of put that coaching thing on pause.
“And then this opened up and Coach throughout the process was very helpful in terms of just me navigating the interview process. Rob and I’s communication, all of this stuff, Coach was great. He still is – I’ve told the young guys this, I’ve talked to nearly every player on the phone, some guys are ducking my calls, it’s OK – but Jalen and Maxwell, they were like, ‘Hey Coach.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not comfortable with that. Please call me JJ.’ There’s one person in my life that I played for that I call Coach, and that’s Coach K. He’s still that to me.”
As Redick prepares for his first season as a head coach, having played for one of the best coaches ever in Krzyzewski and a lengthy 15-year career has made him well-equipped for this new opportunity. While there may be a ton of outside pressure surrounding the Lakers, Redick knows what he signed up for and is ready to win championships.
Nate McMillan & Scott Brooks hired as top assistants on JJ Redick’s staff
There was anticipation for who JJ Redick was going to pick to be on his staff, but there was an expectation of at least experienced former head coaches surrounding him. Despite a considerable amount of time passing since Redick was named head coach, Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks have been hired as the top two assistants on his staff.
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