Perhaps the most groundbreaking development of this offseason was the Los Angeles Lakers ’ coaching change. Darvin Ham, who coached the team for two seasons, began feeling the hot seat after midseason. And as his team had his hands full against the Denver Nuggets in the first round, his exit felt as inevitable as another LeBron James -JJ Redick podcast episode.
Although his head coaching debut is still over a month away, the former NBA veteran has already been subject to intense scrutiny.
SAS trumpets about Redick’s ‘respect’
After weeks of rampant speculation, Redick was offered the Lakers job in June, a move many felt had James’ imprint, including the renowned Stephen A. Smith. Perhaps second to Smith among the booming voices in sports media is Shaquille O’Neal , who was iron-willed when suggesting that L.A’s new man in charge may not have the respect of all his players . To that sentiment, Stephen A. Smith had his own steely retort.
“If you know anything about JJ Redick, this brother knows basketball,” SAS affirms . “It’s going to be real interesting to see how he affects the players in terms of coaching prowess. But I know one thing: players ain’t gonna question his knowledge. Me, personally, I am rooting for him. I believe in him. I believe he’ll be successful.”
The talking head still despises how it went down
How JJ landed the Lakers coaching job will likely be discussed throughout the 2024 season. However, of the many opinions, the recurring theme is that James pulled some strings behind the move.
His podcast with his new coach, “Mind The Game Pod w/ LeBron James and JJ Redick,” launched its first episode on YouTube in late March, right as L.A. began seriously fighting for its playoff hopes — and Ham for his job.
“I lament how [Redick] got the Lakers job because clearly that’s something LeBron James manipulated to his liking,” Stephen A. says.
He added: “ I just don’t like how LeBron did it. You could have waited ‘til the season to be over before starting the damn podcast with him, as opposed to doing it during the middle of the season when Darvin Ham was on the hot seat. I think that’s B.S.”
Whether you agree with Smith’s sentiments, that’s beside the point that Redick will be met with harsh expectations as a rookie head coach. People wait to see him fail because they feel that LeBron got him the job. Some may even feel that the former NBA guard wasn’t credentialed enough even to begin his coaching candidacy, much less be positioned to take the lead for a royal franchise.
Related: "We as Lakers fans have to give JJ Redick some time" - Magic Johnson wants Lakers Nation to be patient with JJ Redick
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