From the moment JJ Redick was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, there was talk about wanting experienced, former head coaches as top assistants on his staff. And that will be the case as the team is bringing in Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan to be Redick’s top assistants.
In addition to both being former head coaches, both McMillan and Brooks are also former players with the former enjoying a 12-year career with the Seattle SuperSonics while the latter played for six teams in his 10-year career, enjoying his best years with the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets and Sonics were two of the best teams in the West throughout the 1990s and had many intense battles, especially in the playoffs. There was also far more leeway with the physicality allowed during that time so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that two physical and feisty players like McMillan and Brooks got into a fight during the 1993 NBA Playoffs, via Trail Blazers reporter Casey Holdahl:
Never hurts to have two coaches who have thrown hands on your staff https://t.co/b1ETWKabyx pic.twitter.com/ZSn9EnKEyW
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) July 3, 2024
Perhaps this is something that the two can joke about now that they are on the same staff together with the Lakers, but it also shows that McMillan and Brooks were no joke during their playing days. And it was McMillan’s Sonics who were ultimately victorious over the Rockets in seven games in that second round series.
What is important now is what each will bring to the Lakers as assistants and how they will help Redick in his growth as a head coach. Both have experienced great success over the years with Brooks leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals back in 2011 while McMillan took over for the Atlanta Hawks in 2021 and led them to only their second Eastern Conference Finals appearance since the merger.
If nothing else, all of the Lakers players should know not to test either McMillan or Brooks because they have proven they won’t back down.
JJ Redick announces Dane Johnson will coach Lakers Summer League team
With JJ Redick having no coaching experience, there were some wondering if he might coach the Lakers Summer League team just to get some in-game reps. While Redick did say he will be heavily involved in the process, he would announce that Dane Johnson, head coach of the South Bay Lakers G League team would be coaching the Lakers Summer League squad.
This is a good opportunity for Johnson, who will be in charge of the squad that will feature 2024 draft picks Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, as well as Colin Castleton and last year’s second-round pick Maxwell Lewis.
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