"'I am a two-time 55 Swish League Champion'" - JJ Redick didn’t have “feelings bruised” about Lakers’ Dan Hurley pursuit
JJ Redick was introduced by the LA Lakers as their new coach on Monday. Redick’s hiring seemed inevitable before the team pursued two-time NCAA champ Dan Hurley of UConn. The Huskies’ play-caller, however, decided not to accept the offer offered by Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.
Hurley’s refusal prompted the Lakers to go after Redick immediately. Pelinka also interviewed other candidates but eventually chose the man the team was rumored to be zeroing in on when Darvin Ham was fired.
When asked about his thoughts when the LA Lakers chased after Dan Hurley before hiring him, JJ Redick had this to say to the media:
“At no point was my ego or feelings hurt or bruised in any way. Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn. I am a two-time 55 Swish League Champion in the 3rd and 4th grade division. I understood."
The LA Lakers didn’t have to keep JJ Redick in the loop but they did. According to the former Orlando Magic star, Pelinka came to him heading into Game 1 of the NBA Finals to inform him about Hurley. During the team’s conversations with the UConn coach, Redick was largely in the know-how.
Before the news came out that the Lakers tried to lure Dan Hurley away from the Huskies, Redick was the frontrunner to replace Ham. Reports surfaced that Pelinka was focusing on the then ESPN analyst to replace Darvin Ham.
JJ Redick insists he has the necessary experience to lead the Lakers
The biggest argument against JJ Redick that critics have relentlessly pounded on was his lack of coaching experience. He has never even been an assistant coach in college or the NBA. Redick’s potential hiring was already blasted by some analysts as a joke.
The former deadeye shooter had a response to that point:
“I had zero coaching experience in the NBA, but I would argue that I’m very experienced and it started 22 years ago when I went to Duke and I got to play for Coach K for four years, spent 15 years as a player [in the NBA]. The last three years have been invaluable in preparing me for this moment.”
JJ Redick added that his time as an analyst and as a podcaster has made him ready for the Lakers’ hiring. He pointed out that conversations with coaches and players were “invaluable” in his growth and understanding of basketball.
Redick’s former coach at Duke, the legendary Mike Krzyzewski, is convinced his former star is ready to handle one of sports’ most demanding jobs:
"He wants to win so badly, but he backs it up. JJ prepared as well as anybody that I ever coached."
Regardless of what JJ Redick says, he will be under the microscope once the season begins. Lakers fans will hope he can back up his words with results. Basketball fans cannot wait for the Lakers’ season to begin.