Lakers officially announce JJ Redick as head coach

The basketball world has known for a few days that JJ Redick would be the Lakers’ next head coach.

Now, the organization is ready to make the formal introduction.

The Lakers on Monday officially announced Redick as the franchise’s new coach, with an introductory news conference scheduled later in the day.

“We are thrilled to introduce JJ Redick as the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers,” said Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka in a press release. “After a thoughtful and thorough search process, I couldn’t be more proud to welcome JJ, his wife Chelsea, and their two sons to the Lakers family. JJ is a fierce competitor and has an extraordinary basketball IQ and understanding of the modern game that will energize players and excite fans. His rigorous analysis will immediately unlock new opportunities for our roster while setting a foundation for player development over the long term. He brings an intense dedication to innovation, advancing the game and staying at the forefront of an ever-evolving league. Beyond his basketball acumen, JJ has a care for people and genuine empathy that are critical for connecting with players today. This is an exciting time for Lakers basketball.”

Redick, who will turn 40 years old on Monday, will be the 29th head coach in the franchise’s history.

Terms of the contract that Redick signed with the Lakers weren’t publicly disclosed, but Redick reportedly signed a four-year contract with an annual salary around $8 million.

“I am incredibly humbled to join the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic and successful sports franchises in the world,” Redick said, in the press release. “This opportunity for me is all about service to the players, team and organization. I want to express my utmost appreciation to Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka and the entire Lakers front office. My goal will focus on delivering championship-caliber basketball for Lakers fans everywhere, building on the tremendous history and legacy of the Lakers. I am excited to surround myself with a veteran, innovative staff as we work relentlessly to develop individual players and maximize the team’s potential. My family and I couldn’t be more ecstatic for this new chapter in our lives and look forward to immersing ourselves in the vibrant Los Angeles community.”

By now, the resume of the former Duke star is well known: Redick played in the NBA for 15 seasons (four with the Clippers) and retired in 2021, averaging 12.8 points on 41.5% 3-point shooting for his career.

He has no professional or college coaching experience, and hasn’t coached above the youth level. But he has interviewed for multiple head coaching vacancies recently: the Toronto Raptors’ last offseason, which went to Darko Rajaković, and the Charlotte Hornets this spring, with Boston lead assistant Charles Lee set to join the Hornets now that the Celtics have concluded their run to the NBA title.

The hope is that Redick’s ability to connect with players, forward-thinking mindset, high basketball IQ, passion and work ethic will help make up for his lack of experience as a first-time coach. Surrounding Redick with an experienced coaching staff could also help lessen Redick’s learning curve.

He became an analyst/broadcaster for ESPN immediately after retirement and has hosted podcasts since 2016, including, “The Old Man and the Three” which is part of the ThreeFourTwo Productions company he co-founded, and “Mind the Game”, which he’s co-hosted with Lakers star LeBron James since March.

Redick was also a color commentator for ABC’s broadcast of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks.

While Redick and James built a rapport during the nine episodes they recorded for their podcast, James reportedly wasn’t involved in the coaching search.

Now, Redick will turn his attention to why he was hired: building off the last two seasons when the Lakers made the playoffs, including the 2023 Western Conference finals, in what’s expected to be the final couple of seasons of the James-Anthony Davis era; and have a coach in place who can have a development-focused approach, especially in the post-James era.

Redick’s media availability on Monday should help give insight on how he plans to do that.