When the Los Angeles Lakers fired Darvin Ham on May 3, shortly after the team’s playoff exit, it marked the team’s fourth coaching change since LeBron James signed in 2018.
Luke Walton was fired in favor of Frank Vogel, who won the 2020 NBA Championship with the Lakers before being fired in 2022 in favor of Ham.
After weeks of speculation that included a seemingly out-of-nowhere run at Dan Hurley, the coach of the back-to-back Men’s NCAA Champion UConn Huskies, the Lakers have found their new coach.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that the team reached an agreement with JJ Redick, who spent 16 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2021 and joining ESPN.
ESPN Sources: JJ Redick has agreed on a four-year contract to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Rob Pelinka offered job this morning and Redick’s started working on a staff to surround himself with experience. pic.twitter.com/G66eVFRALp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2024
Wojnarowski also notes it’ll be a four-year deal for Redick, who has no head coaching experience. He also has started to assemble a coaching staff.
Redick is one of the most prolific players in the history of the Duke Blue Devils, as well. The Roanoke, Virginia native was named the 2006 National Player of the Year and is Duke’s all-time leading scorer with 2,769 points in his four seasons in Durham. Redick’s number four jersey was retired in 2007, one year after he left Duke.
He was drafted 11th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and spent his first seven seasons with the team before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013. From there, Redick signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for the next four seasons and made stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Dallas Mavericks before retiring.
In addition to his ESPN duties, Redick had been the co-host of Mind the Game podcast, alongside NBA all-time leading scorer and Lakers forward LeBron James.
Social media had a lot to say about the news.
Congrats to my man @jj_redick. Anyone who knows anything about you knows that you have that coaching itch. Wishing you nothing but the best. https://t.co/ydUdKpFHXk
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 20, 2024
The Lakers really signed arguably the greatest basketball player of all time at the end of his peak and gave him Luke Walton, Frank Vogel, Darvin Ham, and JJ Redick as coaches.
That is criminal negligence.
— nah. 🇻🇨 (@FEELZ_____) June 20, 2024
imagine going back to 2005 and telling people Duke’s JJ Redick would land a coaching job due to his likability among players https://t.co/acq6lbcrYi
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) June 20, 2024
JJ Redick is that health teacher who got the varsity basketball job
— Deuce (@DeuceThomas) June 20, 2024
