In summer 2024 the LA Lakers made a bold move when they appointed JJ Redick as head coach. He had never coached in the NBA before, and was dismissed by some as purely landing the job due to his close relations with LeBron James.

During his first season, JJ Redick has proven he belongs in the NBA, and has even been mentioned in the Coach of the Year discussion. His Lakers team are second in the Western Conference with a 40-22 record.

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JJ Redick retired from playing in 2021 after a long career, that included four years on the LA Clippers between 2013 and 2017.

During his time on the Clippers, JJ Redick played alongside Jamal Crawford, and he has been speaking about his first season coaching the Lakers.

Crawford told the Road Trippin’ podcast that he knew JJ Redick would adapt well to coaching, because he is driven and has great attention to detail.

He explained: “Absolutely. I played with him for four years. So always know he was smart. We’d always have basketball conversations.

“The way he thought the game, his routine, how dedicated he was. The thing about JJ is, once he throws himself into something, that’s what it is.

“Whether it’s media, whether it’s podcast, whether it’s coaching, he’s all there. He’s always present.”

Crawford added that he did have doubts over how good Redick would actually be during his first season in charge.

He admitted: “I didn’t think they would be this good, to be honest with you, like I just didn’t.

“I thought the roster was kind of flawed. Him being the new coach. I knew he had the basketball smarts and basketball rank, but for him to be where he is, he has to be in the Coach of the Year candidates.

“Him being a rookie coach with being where he’s at right now, I think he’s in that conversation.”

Not long retired as a player, JJ Redick knows how to communicate with modern stars and has been able to motivate the Lakers team.

Having respect from LeBron James is working in his favor too, while Redicks has consistently held the team to a high standard.

Redick’s ‘edge and intensity’ has also stood out, with clips of his post-game speeches also going viral. He has handled himself well in post-game interviews too.

Whether the Lakers can win the title in Redick’s first season remains unclear. A loss to the Celtics shows they have another step to take, but they are in position to be in contention.