Mind the Game is back and LeBron is already making JJ Redick hiring jokes

A year ago, the NBA was turned on its head when LeBron James entered the podcasting realm. The Los Angeles Lakers star joined forces with former player and respected analyst JJ Redick to provide viewers and listeners with a unique look through the eyes of the modern athlete.

James is now preparing to return to podcasting in 2025—only Redick is now his head coach instead of his co-host.

The "Mind the Game Podcast" was one of the most refreshing additions to the sports media world in quite some time. Opinions were put aside in favor of insight into the specific details of how the game is played and what challenges exist for the players on the court.

James will bring the series back in 2025 with a new co-host, legendary point guard Steve Nash—but not before he addresses the narrative about how Redick supposedly got the Lakers job.

As the end of the 2024-25 regular season approaches, the time has never been more appropriate for James to get his jokes in about whether or not Redick was hired based on merit.

LeBron jokes about rumor he got JJ Redick the Lakers job

Redick has hit the ground running as a head coach, leading the Lakers to a 43-28 record through 71 games in 2024-25. He's done a remarkable job of garnering a commitment on defense when it seemed as though the team refused to buy in.

Since Jan. 15, the Lakers rank No. 6 in the NBA in defensive rating—and recent woes have done little to impact their new reputation as an elite team on that end of the floor.

The greatest credit to Redick is that he's overcome a seemingly endless bout with adversity. That includes losing streaks, injuries, the California wildfires, and multiple trades that have required the first-year coach to adapt his system on the fly.

Redick has taken it all in stride, even transitioning from an interior-based superstar in Anthony Davis to a ball-dominant perimeter player in Luka Doncic with hardly a moment's notice.

Perhaps that won't put an end to the speculation that James convinced the Lakers to hire his former podcast co-host. It's equally as possible that Nash will be the latest to make the move to the sideline after viewers are given an opportunity to listen to one of the greatest point guards ever break the game down in detail.

The difference, of course, is that Nash is already a former head coach who went 94-67 during his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets.

Regardless of what transpires, Redick has produced a successful first regular season with the Lakers. He's proven capable of guiding the team through turbulent times and basing his tactics on his personnel, no matter how the roster may change.

As James brings back his podcast, it appears as though he and Redick are getting the last laugh after critics predicted a far different outcome to the hiring.