Lakers star LeBron James breaks silence on JJ Redick recruitment

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has finally broken his silence on hiring his former podcast co-host and 15-year NBA veteran JJ Redick as his new head coach.

“We’re really excited about JJ,” James told reporters July 6 at the start of Team USA camp in Las Vegas. “I’m excited to work with JJ and also coach (Scott) Brooks and coach (Nate) McMillan. They’re both great additions to our coaching staff, but I’m really excited to work with JJ.”

The Lakers’ priority in assembling Redick’s staff was to surround him with experienced coaches. Brooks and McMillan have a combined 31 seasons of coaching experience.

Redick’s hiring has been scrutinized because he has no prior head coaching experience. But he’s not the first former NBA player to make the jump to coaching without prior experience.

The last three to do so in the past decade have had mixed results.

Steve Nash spent just three seasons in Brooklyn after being hired in 2020. Nash, a Hall of Famer and former NBA MVP, won just one playoff series with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Nash left the Nets with a 94-67 record.

In 2014, Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher were both hired as coaches for the first time.

Kerr has become the benchmark for rookie coaches by winning four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors. He has the winningest record of any rookie coach with 519 wins and that number continues to rise.

On the other hand, Fisher, a five-time NBA champion, was one of the worst to do so, going 40-96 in a season and a half with the Knicks before being fired.

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LeBron James keeps expectations modest

James, who turns 40 this season, is keeping his expectations modest for Redick’s first year as head coach.

Without any significant offseason additions, there is no title chance for the Lakers.

“I expect us to work every day, try to get better every day and push each other,” James said. “As a captain, AD as a captain, we have to hold everybody accountable from a player standpoint. We’re coming in with a new system, so we have to get to know it and see what coach Redick and the rest of the coaching staff want us to do and then go from there.”

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LeBron James accepts pay cut

James agreed to a contract that was lower than what was initially reported as a two-year, $104 million maximum deal.

James signed for just $101.35 million, about $2.7 million short of the $104 million cap limit, ESPN management insider Bobby Marks reported on July 7.

It was the first time since James signed a cut-price contract to join the Miami Heat in 2010, helping them build a team that won two championships in four Finals appearances.

The James trade allowed the Lakers to keep $45,000 below the second apron, according to Marks, which gives them access to their $5.5 million taxpayer mid-level exception.

The Lakers superstar had initially offered to take a substantial pay cut that would have allowed the Lakers to use the $12.9 million mid-level exception for an impact player. But they failed in their

Alder Almo Alder Almo is a basketball journalist who covers the NBA for Heavy.com. He has over 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print, and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is originally from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo