Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball over JJ Redick #4 formerly of the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on November 27, 2019. Redick is now James' head coach.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James finally broke his silence on the hiring of his former podcast co-host and 15-year NBA veteran JJ Redick as their new head coach.
We’re excited about JJ,” James told reporters on July 6 at the start of the Team USA camp in Las Vegas. “I’m excited to work with JJ and also work with Coach [Scott] Brooks and Coach [Nate] McMillan as well. Those are great two pieces as well to add to our coaching staff but I’m super excited to work with JJ.”
The Lakers’ top priority in assembling Redick’s staff was to surround him with experienced head coaches. Brooks and McMillan have a combined 31 seasons of head-coaching experience between them.
Redick’s hiring was highly scrutinized because he doesn’t have any prior head coaching experience. But he is not the first former NBA player to transition to coaching without prior experience.
The last three to do it over the last decade had mixed results.
Steve Nash lasted only three seasons in Brooklyn after he was hired in 2020. Nash, a Hall of Famer and a former NBA MVP, won only one playoff series with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Nash left the Nets with a 94-67 record.
In 2014, both Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher were hired as first-time coaches.
Kerr became the gold standard for first-time coaches as he won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors. He’s the winningest coach among all first-timers with 519 victories and still counting.
On the other hand, Fisher, a five-time NBA champion, was one of the worst to ever do it, compiling a 40-96 record in one-and-a-half season with the Knicks before getting fired.
LeBron James Keeps Modest Expectation
James, who will turn 40 this season, is keeping his expectations modest in Redick’s first year as a head coach.
With no significant offseason additions, there is no championship expectation for the Lakers.
“My expectation is for us to go to work every day, try to get better every day and push each other every day,” James said. “Me as a captain, A.D. as the captain, we got to hold everybody accountable from the player standpoint. We’re coming in with a new system, so we have to learn the system and see what Coach Redick and the rest of the coaching staff want us to do, and then go from there.”
LeBron James Takes Paycut
James took less than what was initially reported to be a max two-year deal worth $104 million.
James signed for only $101.35 million, approximately $2.7 million below the $104 million max, ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks reported on July 7.
It marked the first time since James signed a discounted contract to join the Miami Heat in 2010 that allowed them to build a roster that won two championships in four Finals appearances.
James’ move kept the Lakers $45,000 below the second apron, per Marks, which gives them access to their $5.5 million taxpayer midlevel exception.
The Lakers superstar initially offered to take a substancial paycut that would have allowed the Lakers to use the non-taxpayer $12.9 million midlevel exception for an impact player. But they struck out in their