Lakers Superstar LeBron James is preparing to play in his 22nd season for the Los Angeles Lakers and he is also preparing to play for his 10th head coach. The 4-time NBA champion and NBA’s all-time leading scorer will be preparing to play for a coach, who has never coached at any level in his career, JJ Redick.
James, in pursuit of his 5th championship, will look to do so with a coach with no experience, but has played at the highest level. Before Redick was officially announced as the LA’s next hire James has expressed his admiration, highlighting his ability to pass on his knowledge to players, which was something that made Redick a hot commodity.
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LA along with 27 other teams held their media day on September 30th, and James was asked about his initial thoughts on Redick,
“I know from being alongside him [Redick] and having our [podcast], and him being a competitor, I know he’s super detailed when it comes to that,” James said at Lakers Media Day. “Going against him in the past, that’s what it’s all about—putting the work in and being detailed. Knowing exactly what we’re going to do when we’re out on the floor, not only in game situations but also in practice, film sessions, everything. That’s something I know he can do.”
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One of the best long range shooters in the NBA when he played throughout his 15-year career, Redick was known for his high IQ on the court trying to find ways to get open against some of the best perimeter defenders.
In March, Redick collaborated with James in the podcasting world, creating the ‘Mind the Game’ with LeBron James and JJ Redick show. As a former three-point shooting mastermind who studied various ways to gain freedom on the perimeter, Redick had the opportunity to explain complex concepts to his viewers.
James will also act as the coach’s voice on the court. “I’m going to lead by example, lead with my voice. My voice is very commanding, but I’ll be an extension of the coaching staff on the floor,” James said. “Right now, we’re getting our system in place, and not only is JJ’s voice being heard, but all the other coaches’ voices are being heard as well. We’re all just taking it in and trying to dial in and get better out there on the floor.”
However, as the man in charge, Redick must do more than deal with the X’s and O’s of the game. He’ll get a chance to get a feel for things when the Lakers open up their preseason Friday against Minnesota, So he’ll get somewhat of a chance to experiment with different lineups to ensure the players on the floor compliment each other to some degree. Additionally, Redick will be tasked with trying to manage James’ minutes during the regular season, considering the grind of an 82 game season that can take a toll on a player entering his 22nd campaign.
For now, James appears to have faith in Redick’s ability to come in and positively impact the Lakers’ organization and most importantly winning.
Chrys Henderson is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him on X @ChrysNBA.
