JJ Redick breaks silence on Lakers rumors, hints at Shams Charania discourse
The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly zeroing in on JJ Redick as the franchise's eighth head coach since Phil Jackson retired in 2011. It's an expected development that would see Los Angeles bring a former player and renowned media analyst in for his first major coaching experience.
Redick has remained all but silent as far as his future as a coach is concerned, but in a recent media appearance, that silence was finally broken—kind of.
Redick recently appeared on the GoJo and Golic show, which is hosted by Mike Golic Sr. and Mike Golic Jr. During the interview, the 39-year-old was directly asked whether the rumors are true about his involvement in the Lakers' coaching search.
Redick shifted the focus to his current job as a commentator and analyst for ESPN's coverage of the 2024 NBA Finals, but took the time to seemingly take a shot at NBA insider Shams Charania.
"My focus is on the NBA Finals. In terms of Shams, that will be addressed once the season is over. I'll just say that." @jj_redick addresses the elephant in the room — the rumors of the Lakers' interest in him as their new Head Coach pic.twitter.com/6OwYnG5iHQ
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) June 5, 2024
It was a tense, but somewhat comedic moment as Redick looked to circumvent the rumors that have come to dominate conversations around Lakerland.
Charania is one of the many reporters to have stated that Redick is the frontrunner for the Lakers position. This comes on the heels of the dismissal of Darvin Ham, who led Los Angeles to the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
The reports have come as little surprise to Lakers fans, as Redick's connection with Mind The Game co-host LeBron James had many connecting the dots before the reports could spread nationwide.
It's worth noting that Redick has interviewed for an NBA head coaching gig in the past. He was a candidate for the Charlotte Hornets job in 2023, per Charania. As such, it's not as though Los Angeles has pulled his name out of thin air.
There's clearly interest in bringing Redick to an NBA sideline, and his 15 seasons of playing experience offer at least some degree of an explanation as to why.
Redick has since gone on to break down the intricacies of the NBA game for fans who aren't often exposed to mainstream media members taking such an approach. He's fought the inflammatory narratives and earned the reputation of a specialist in the X's and O's department.
The Lakers haven't officially named the next head coach, but it seems we'll have an answer about Redick's future and his relationship with Charania after the 2024 NBA Finals.
manual