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The last Los Angeles Lakers coach to spend more than three seasons in this position was the great Phil Jackson.
For the record, Jackson last led the team in scoring in 2011. When JJ Redick took over as head coach of the Lakers in June, he became the eighth different captain of the Purple and Gold following Jackson’s departure.
Of course, none of this needs to be told to Redick, who has one of the sharpest basketball minds on the planet. Yet, it was certainly shared with him when he considered walking away from his budding media empire and entering the coaching profession in one of the association’s most pressure-packed environments.
In fact, according to ESPN, many people around him “told him taking the Lakers job would be a bad idea”. dave mcmenamin,
The fact that Redick dismissed those concerns and accepted the challenge is something this franchise and its fans should be excited about.
“I have a competitive itch every day of my life,” Redick said. “And no matter how many swings I made, he wasn’t getting satisfied. And so, I felt a real calling in terms of the competitive side.”
Reddick did not have to accept this offer. He was a rising star in the media world and had the option of going elsewhere. He Interview With the Toronto Raptors last season. He attracted interest From the Charlotte Hornets this offseason.
Even without coaching experience, it would not be wrong to say that he could have chosen his position. Between his podcasting gig and his ESPN work, he remains front and center in the basketball world, dazzling people with his ability to think and communicate about the game.
Then again, maybe it was choosing his location. Perhaps someone who is being warned about a “bad idea” and jumps right into it anyway is the perfect person to thrive in this environment.
He could have run away from this challenge. Instead he embraced it.
“Honestly, I want to coach the Lakers,” Redick told reporters At his introductory press conference in June. “I want to coach the team… I want to be a great coach in the NBA. And I want to win championships. And I want my players to maximize their careers. That’s all I care about.” ,
Talk of a championship may seem overly ambitious considering he effectively inherited a roster that went 47-35 and lost in the first round last season, but wild ambition could be the key to making it work.
Obviously, Redick needs healthy versions of LeBron James and Anthony Davis to be remotely competitive this season, but the coach needs more than that to get this club to championship level. James and Davis both crossed the 70-game mark last season, and the Lakers mentioned it in competitive talks simply as a necessity to feed the content machine.
To succeed where Redick’s predecessors have failed, he will need to maximize players like D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura. Redick will need help from Austin Reaves to summon the long-awaited leap year. Redick needs to help Dalton Knecht get on the floor, provide speed for Gabe Vincent, help Max Christie expand his potential role, find ways to add two-way value for Christian Wood and find a right back for Bronny James. A developmental blueprint will have to be prepared.
And Redick will have to do it all from inside the fishbowl that is the L.A. media market.
The challenge is very big. These warnings were expressed for a reason. But maybe, just maybe, Redick’s mentality will prove to be exactly what the purple and gold need to perform at their best.