The Los Angeles Lakers formalized the appointment of their new coach, JJ Redick, on his 40th birthday, Monday. Inexperienced on a bench, the former NBA player had become a brilliant consultant in his podcast on ESPN.
Former player turned consultant JJ Redick, close to LeBron James, was officially named coach of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, and will quickly have to prove himself despite his total lack of experience on a bench. Outcome or poisoned gift? JJ Redick inherited on Monday, his 40th birthday, one of the most exposed positions in American sport, at the head of the prestigious Los Angeles Lakers franchise with 17 NBA titles.
The shadow of LeBron James hangs over the arrival of JJ Redick
“I take this responsibility very seriously. I have never coached in the NBA before, I don’t know if you know (ironic). My main motivation is to put myself at the service (of the Lakers)”, he said during a press conference. “I am very experienced,” he assured. “I started 22 years ago at Duke under ‘Coach K’ (Mike Krzyzewski, legendary college coach), then spent 15 years as an NBA player. Honestly these last three years have been invaluable in preparing me for this moment I was able to interact with the players, talk to them on my podcast, interview coaches for ESPN, analyze the game in three different formats, all of that prepared me to become a head coach.
His arrival was announced last week by several media, including his former employer ESPN, for whom he had served as a consultant since the end of his career in 2021. “JJ has extraordinary basketball knowledge and an understanding of the game modern style that will energize the players,” said Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
In fifteen years of NBA career, JJ Redick did not play for the Lakers but played for Orlando, Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Dallas for 940 matches with an average of 12.8 points as a player. to have to be skillful at long distance. “The goal is a title. It’s my job. Our job as all of us in the franchise is to build a team that is a candidate for the title. That’s why I signed,” added the new coach. Redick replaces Darvin Ham, who was fired along with his entire staff in May after the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the play-offs by Denver. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
The critics? “I don’t give a damn!”
He will have the heavy task of relaunching the Californian franchise, titled for the last time in 2020, after three average seasons marked by a few highs (title during the new NBA Cup in December) but above all an inconsistency despite the level of its two stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The shadow of LeBron James hangs over the arrival of JJ Redick, even if the superstar with 4 NBA titles has always refused to exert any influence on the strategic choices of his franchise. This year, the two men launched a podcast where, together, they decipher basketball and the NBA in depth over a glass of wine.
“LeBron and I only talked about the Lakers on Thursday, 30 minutes after the job was offered to me. It was our wish. I knew he didn’t want to be involved in it,” assured the coach. . The appointment of the young technician, born the same year as LeBron James, could also be a calculation on the part of the owners of the franchise in order to convince the “King” to stay in Los Angeles, he who has not yet officially activated his option to extend his contract by one year (he has until June 29).
Will Redick want to prove the critics of his nomination wrong? “I don’t really have an answer to that question since I don’t give a damn! Honestly. I want to coach the Lakers, take care of the team. I want to become a great NBA coach, win a championship, and maximize the careers of my players. That’s all that interests me.” A first project awaits the coach with the draft scheduled in New York on Wednesday and Thursday, while the squad should undergo significant changes this summer.
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2024-06-25 04:12:53
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