This head coaching search for the Los Angeles Lakers was an intriguing one due to a curveball that came about late in the process. While JJ Redick was the original frontrunner, general manager Rob Pelinka surprisingly pivoted to chase UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who is coming off back-to-back National Championships.
However, Hurley would turn down a reported six-year, $70 million to become the franchises’ 29th head coach. This created a potentially awkward situation with Pelinka and the having to turn back to Redick after this failed pursuit and perhaps creating some doubt with him not being their first choice.
But that was not the case and Pelinka was able to come to terms to make Redick the Lakers’ next head coach. At his introductory press conference, this late pursuit of Hurley was bound to be brought up, although Reddick shared that L.A. chasing Hurley did not hurt his feelings and respects the team’s decision to try and make him their head coach.
“I want to follow up on something Rob just was talking about. And that’s, you know, when the process was going on and we first met in Chicago. I was getting ready to call Game 1 of the NBA Finals when the Dan Hurley news broke,” Redick said. “And Rob was quick to call me. We had a great conversation. During that whole four-day period, at no point was my ego or feelings hurt or bruised in any way. Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn. I am a two-time 55 Swish League champion in the third and fourth grade division. Like, I understood, you know? I understood.”
It is great to see that Redick did not turn sour on the Lakers because that could have made things get dicey. Leading up to this process, there was no home run candidate out there, so whoever ultimately got this gig, some risk would be inherited.
Now, Redick is taking on a tall task by trying to turn this Lakers team around after a first-round exit last season. Trying to get back in the mix in a compact Western Conference is not going to be an easy feat, but bringing in an experienced staff and additional firepower could go a long way in securing an 18th championship.
Austin Reaves believes JJ Redick is a ‘basketball genius’
Since calling it a career after 15 years, JJ Redick shifted to the world of media by hosting podcasts and calling games for ESPN, further displaying his basketball IQ and ultimately earned him a head coaching job with the Lakers.
Austin Reaves was recently asked for his thought on his new coach and he called him a ‘basketball genius,’ expressing his excitement to work alongside him.
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