JJ Redick is somewhat quietly doing a fine job as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers this season, despite lacking any previous coaching experience in the NBA or the college ranks. In doing so, he's not only guiding the Lakers toward a playoff appearance, but he's also silencing the critics who felt he was hired merely because of his relationship with LeBron James.
Redick had been a podcaster prior to becoming the Lakers' head coach last summer. One of the podcasts he was involved in was "Mind the Game," which he co-hosted with James.
He has had to deal with some ups and downs this season, and perhaps nothing he has dealt with this season was as bad as losing his home in the Palisades Fire. He has been active in helping to lead the efforts to rebuild Pacific Palisades, and he fell in love with the community during his time there.
During an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Times, Redick said he would love to remain the Lakers' head coach for quite some time.
Via Los Angeles Times:
“I’m not moving again. I’m not moving my kids again,” Redick told The Times as he drove back toward his home for the first time since it burned down in the Palisades fire. “We’re in it for the long haul. I would love to be the Lakers coach for the next 15 to 20 years. If I’m not the Lakers coach, I’m in it for the long haul in L.A.”
No one has coached the Lakers for a longer period of time than Phil Jackson, who totaled 11 seasons during two separate stints during the Kobe Bryant era, and John Kundla, who was their head coach for 11 seasons in the late 1940s and 1950s. For Redick to stick around at least that long, he will have to deliver multiple NBA championships, but it looks like he may have the talent to do just that, thanks to February's Luka Doncic trade.
Los Angeles currently holds a 45-29 record and is in fourth place in the Western Conference as the postseason nears.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick on how long he'd love to coach the Lakers for
