Los Angeles Lakers hire JJ Redick as new head coach on 4-year contract: Report

The Los Angeles Lakers ended weeks of speculation with a bold decision, hiring ESPN analyst JJ Redick as their new head coach on a four-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Redick, 39, becomes the next man to lead the Lakers despite having no coaching experience other than with his son’s youth basketball team. However, he’s demonstrated a deep knowledge of the NBA game as a studio and game analyst for ESPN during the past three seasons, in addition to the insight offered on his podcasts “The Old Man and the Three” and “Mind the Game,” which he hosts with LeBron James.

Pelinka became sold on Redick’s ability to connect with players and his basketball IQ and believes surrounding him with an elite coaching staff will help to shorten the learning curve into his first coaching job, sources said. https://t.co/xxqFXSrpJN

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2024

Despite Redick’s name being in the mix early in the search, UConn coach Dan Hurley emerged as a top candidate, ultimately turning down a six-year, $70-million deal to become the Lakers’ next head coach.

The presumption had been that Redick had an inside track to the Lakers job because of his podcast partnership with James. Yet the Lakers star reportedly wasn’t involved in the team’s coaching search, believing that the organization needed to make a decision that could be significant beyond the two or three more seasons that James intends to play.

Team officials were reportedly extremely impressed with Redick after interviewing him, envisioning what he could be as a coach rather than what he’s already accomplished, according to The Athletic.

“The Lakers are infatuated with Redick’s potential, according to league sources, viewing him as a Pat Riley-like coaching prospect who could both help the franchise in the short term and lead it for years. Riley, a nine-year NBA veteran as a player, was a broadcaster for the Lakers from 1977 to 1979 before making the leap to assistant coach in 1979 and then eventually head coach in 1981.”

Whoever dropped Riley’s name in discussing Redick surely knew what was being invoked. Riley established his coaching…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/los-angeles-lakers-hire-jj-redick-as-new-head-coach-on-4-year-contract-report-190604461.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-20 19:06:04

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