Meet JJ Redick, who’s set to coach father-son duo LeBron and Bronny James at the LA Lakers: the former Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks star will get US$8 million per season for his new role

Oct 2 , 2024

LA Lakers head coach JJ Redick at a press conference in July. Photo: Reuters

After a record-breaking career at Duke University, Redick was a 2006 first round draft pick for the Orlando Magic and went on to play for the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers

Despite having no formal coaching experience, Redick has taken up the head coach position with the LA Lakers; he’ll be coaching star forward LeBron James and his recently drafted son, Bronny James

Earlier this summer, the LA Lakers made headlines when they chose Bronny James as the NBA’s 55th pick in the 2024 draft. The reason? He and his father – Lakers’ forward LeBron James – are set to become the first active father-son duo in the league’s history, with LeBron going into his 22nd season this October as his son starts his first.

The news came hot on the heels of another big Lakers announcement. Just days before, the team announced it had appointed former NBA player JJ Redick as its new head coach. The news was certainly contentious, with many fans arguing that despite a long playing career, Redick lacked the necessary coaching experience.

So who exactly is JJ Redick, and why has he been trusted to lead one of the NBA’s most legendary franchises?

He’s a successful former player …

JJ Redick wearing his Dallas Mavericks jersey. Photo: @jjredick/Instagram

Redick is a long-time basketball player himself, so he knows a thing or two about what it takes to get a win on the hardwood. The shooting guard played on the men’s basketball team through his four years at Duke University, setting several records. With 2,769 career points, he became the highest scorer in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and set records for the most number of consecutive free throws (54) and a league-best 95.3 per cent from the free throw line.

In 2006, Redick was drafted into the NBA as a first-round pick for the Orlando Magic, per ESPN, where he played for seven seasons. Over his 15-year career in the NBA, he played for six teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers, before ending his on court career in 2001 after one season with the Dallas Mavericks.

… but has no professional coaching experience

JJ Redick coaches his son’s team at the Brooklyn Basketball Academy. Photo: @jjredick/Instagram

There’s no denying Redick has plenty of experience on the court, but when he signed a four-year contract as the Lakers’ 29th head coach (that will reportedly pay US$8 million per season), fans were quick to question his credentials. He has no previous coaching experience, except as the volunteer head coach at the Brooklyn Basketball Academy where his son plays, according to The Ringer.

Despite the criticism, Redick believes his approach to communication makes him a good fit for the job. In a 2022 interview, Redick explained: “One of my greatest skills as a human being is communicating in an open and transparent way. I think that’s part of coaching.”

JJ Redick with his former LA Clippers teammate Chris Paul. Photo: @jjredick/Instagram

Others clearly agree. The Lakers aren’t the first NBA team to try and get Redick on their coaching staff – he told the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast in January that “six to eight” teams had spoken to him, and he’d previously interviewed with the Charlotte Hornets, the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics.