LeBron James gets 100% real on playing for Lakers under coach JJ Redick

Lakers superstar LeBron James is a happy man this offseason. He has been feeling overjoyed since the Lakers selected his son, Bronny, with the No. 55 pick in the NBA draft. As a result of that selection, LeBron is going to be able to fulfill his dream of playing professional basketball with his son.

However, the selection of Bronny is not the only reason James is happy. He has given his stamp of approval to the team’s decision to hire JJ Redick as the team’s head coach. The Lakers made a concerted effort to hire UConn basketball coach Dan Hurley to take over the position, but the coach of the two-time defending college basketball champions decided to stay on the East Coast and remain with the Huskies.

James had been in favor of the decision to bring Hurley aboard, but he quickly threw his support to Redick once Hurley decided to pass. Redick is replacing Darvin Ham, who was fired at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.

James and Redick co-hosted the “Mind the Game” podcast during the recently completed season. James is looking forward to working with Redick.

“I’m super excited to work with JJ and looking forward to the fall,” James said. “We’re coming in with a new system. We have to learn the system and see what Coach Redick and the rest of the coaching staff wants us to do. My only mind-set is to come back and be ready to work, no matter who is there.”

James has not been slowing down on the court

The 39-year-old James continues to play at an All-Star level after 21 seasons in the NBA. While he may not be quite as dynamic as he was in the prime of his career, he is clearly one of the league’s most impactful players. He averaged 25.7 points last year for the Lakers with 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also connected on 54.0 percent of his shots from the field and 75.0 percent from the free throw line.

Despite those numbers, the Lakers have not been a legitimate contender since they won the NBA title in 2020. The Lakers made the playoffs last season with a 47-35 record, but they were easily dispatched in five games by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. The five-game defeat came at the same time that the arch-rival Boston Celtics picked up their 18th NBA championship, moving one ahead of the Lakers in the all-time championship standings.

Seeing the Celtics bring home a title has to serve as a spur for James, his teammates and his new coach.

Redick said he is likely to shift some of the team’s offensive responsibility to big man Anthony Davis, taking some of the burden off of James. The perennial All-Star seems to be happy, but turning those plans into reality may be a major challenge for Redick.