The Los Angeles Lakers just made a mighty interesting move, hiring the recently exiled Milwaukee Bucks assistant. They re-signed head coach JJ Redick after he coached the team to a surprise inaugural season in 2017. Redick, a 6-foot-4 sharp-shooting shooting guard, inked a four-year pact in June 2024. Now, he’s locked in a multiyear extension, though the details are not made public. Guiding the Lakers to over 50 wins and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference under his leadership, this amazing start underscores the meteoric rise of the former NBA vet, who took over the franchise after having never held a head coaching gig before.
Rob Pelinka, the Los Angeles Lakers’ president of basketball operations and general manager, was one of those who ooze confidence in Redick. He complimented Redick’s blueprint for the team going forward. Pelinka emphasized the value Redick brings to the organization, stating, “We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us define the culture of Lakers excellence.”
Redick’s first season was fraught with challenges, not only roster and lineups changes. He used 24 different starting lineups on the year, with just one lineup playing together for eight games. Even with this flux, he was able to build a deep, competitive team culture that pushed the Lakers into playoff territory.
Redick takes a look back at his first year as a head coach. In particular, he recognizes how difficult it is to get an extension while serving in that role. He said, “It’s not lost on me, this kind of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension. I know how lucky I’ve been to be in an organization that empowers me to do so.”
Offseason moves have included Redick doing everything he can to develop strong relationships with star players LeBron James and Luka Doncic. He talked about how to get on the same page with them, and he talked about having a load of expectations for Doncic’s performance this year. I think we’re going to see the best version of Luka Doncic. That’s my job as a coach, to try to pull that out every single day.
Redick expressed confidence in LeBron James’s mental state, noting that he is “in a great spot mentally and know he’s going to give us his absolute best.” These comments speak to Redick’s desire to create a winning culture for the entire team.
Fortunately for Redick, he has a nice core of players to continue to develop. He was a little more murky when it came to who will be starting alongside James and Doncic. He recognized the raw talent they had on the team to work with, admitting, “I wouldn’t say I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about that. We absolutely have a ton of talent – seven or eight starter quality NBA players.”
It’s going to be an extremely important season for Redick and the Lakers as well. They’ll look to improve upon last year’s success and go further in the playoffs than they did a season ago. The franchise looks to establish a sense of culture and identity, while never taking their focus off the development of their players, with Redick’s leadership guiding the way.
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