The Lakers’ recent selection of JJ Redick as their fresh head coach has garnered both praises and critiques. Nevertheless, Redick remains resolute in the face of doubting voices.
In all honesty, Redick admits the existence of skeptics but proudly declares his apathy towards their viewpoints. In his straightforward manner (brace yourself), he boldly stated, “I couldn’t care less.”
Thanks to @jj_redick, a new meme arises pic.twitter.com/fXCpAkxEmZ
— HTB ♨️ (@HenryTheBlasian) June 24, 2024
When questioned about addressing skepticism regarding his new position, Redick was direct.
In response, he mentioned, “I’m fully cognizant of the talk. These past few weeks provided insight… However, I find no necessity to defend myself in response to your question, as I absolutely don’t give a damn, to be frank. My aim is coaching the Lakers, that’s where my focus lies. I’m not here to debunk rumors. My aspiration is excelling as an NBA coach, pursuing championships, and aiding my players in reaching their peak potential. That is my primary focus.”
During the press briefing, Redick utilized humor, likely as a tactic to alleviate increasing media pressure.
He finds his lack of experience amusing 😭😭
“I have never coached in the NBA before”
JJ Redick pic.twitter.com/REsNqDqiCW
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) June 24, 2024
There are speculations that Redick was not the primary choice initially, with rumors suggesting that the Lakers’ first preference was University of Connecticut’s coach Dan Hurley. However, Hurley purportedly declined the offer.
“Dan Hurley boasts two national championship victories at UConn,” remarked Redick. “In contrast, I am a two-time Swish League champion for kids in third and fourth grade. I understand the comparison.”
Students aiming for ESPN in their final year of broadcast journalism pic.twitter.com/aXJc28E8w3
— Logan Reever (@loganreever) June 23, 2024
Despite the absence of conventional coaching credentials, the Lakers roster has shown unwavering faith in Redick’s capacity to lead them, citing his diverse experiences as a competitor, broadcaster, and podcaster.
“While I lack direct NBA coaching experience, I consider myself well-informed.”
JJ Redick highlights the past three years of conducting podcast interviews, analyzing finals, breaking down gameplay, and interviewing for coaching positions as foundational experiences for coaching at the NBA level pic.twitter.com/aGsNdbUCrW
— 𝙉𝘼𝙅 (@najeeadams_) June 24, 2024
The “Mind the Game” podcast series with LeBron James, spanning the past three months, sparked humorous suggestions that its episodes essentially acted as Redick’s coaching job interview for the esteemed franchise.
The LeBron & Redick podcast was essentially one lengthy job interview 😭 pic.twitter.com/F0JjiObQqP
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) June 21, 2024
Upon his transition to coaching, Redick declared an end to his podcasting endeavors, at least for the foreseeable future.
JJ Redick announces a break from podcasting now that he has assumed Lakers’ head coaching responsibilities.
“For now… I’m stepping away from the world of content creation. No more podcasts.”
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 24, 2024
Following a significant 15-year NBA career (2006-21), Redick transitioned to become an ESPN commentator in 2021. The Duke graduate is renowned for his profound knowledge of the sport, which many Lakers supporters hope will translate into team triumphs in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
