Lakers’ JJ Redick adds 2 coaches with 1,189 wins to staff

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has started to assemble his coaching staff for the 2024-25 NBA season, adding the likes of Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan to the team’s bench, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brooks and McMillan will serve as the two head assistants for the Lakers under Redick, and they bring a plethora of experience with them to Los Angeles.

Together, the two veteran coaches have combined to win 1,189 regular-season games in 31 total combined seasons. Redick, who made it a point of emphasis to say that he was going to be adding coaches with experience to his staff, has now done so with two highly respected names that have been in the NBA for years.

Brooks began his coaching career in the NBA as an assistant for the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder franchise. In 2008, Brooks was named the head coach of the Thunder, and he led the organization to the 2011 NBA Finals. After being removed as head coach of the team after seven seasons, Brooks served as the head coach of the Washington Wizards for five years. Recently, the 58-year-old was a lead assistant on Chauncey Billups’ staff with the Portland Trail Blazers.

It is always a positive thing to have assistant coaches not only with head coaching experience, but those who have served as the figurehead for some of the league’s greatest stars. In addition to coaching Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, Brooks also coached John Wall and Bradley Beal with the Wizards. Brooks will now be able to add LeBron James and Anthony Davis to his list once he settles in with the Lakers.

McMillan heads to Los Angeles and joins Redick’s staff after taking the 2023-24 season off. Initially beginning his coaching career during the 1999-00 season with the SuperSonics as an assistant, McMillan has gone on to be the head coach for four different franchises: the SuperSonics, Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, and the Atlanta Hawks. He recently coached the Hawks for three seasons before he was replaced by Quin Snyder during the 2022-23 season.

Over the course of his coaching career, McMillan has been able to coach players such as Gary Payton, Ray Allen, LaMarcus Aldridge, Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, and Trae Young.

This is a developing story that will be updated shortly.