JJ Redick admits he felt he was cosplaying as Lakers coach when he joined the team

JJ Redick acknowledged something he hadn’t planned to divulge. When asked how different it feels being in his third year as an NBA coach than his first, he opened up. “I probably shouldn’t admit this,” Redick said at Lakers practice Wednesday, “but early in my coaching career I felt like I was cosplaying a little bit, you know? It’s like I was pretending to be a coach.”Redick was stunningly hired to take over the Lakers’ helm in June 2024 after Darvin Ham was fired.Why was it so eyebrow-raising?He had no coaching experience.He was taking over a 17-time championship franchise.

There was no margin for error. Talk about pressure.Redick has always come across as ultra-confident.He had to be.

But on Wednesday, he let us peek behind his tough veneer.Even the coach of the Lakers can have imposter syndrome.Good thing for the Lakers, their gamble has panned out.Last season, Redick became the first coach since Phil Jackson to have back-to-back 50-win seasons.Redick has drawn comparisons to Pat Riley, who had very little coaching experience (two years as a Laker assistant from 1979-81) before taking over the helm in 1981.Riley went on to win four championships in LA.

Last season, he was honored with a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena.As for Redick, he still has a long way to go.The Lakers haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs since he took over, though Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler desperately want to help him change that.“I think he’s got a little more gray hair.

but he’s been great,” Reaves said when asked about Redick’s growth over the last three seasons.“Care factor’s high, intelligence is high.

He cares more than anybody else and wants to win just like we do.So, you know, having that as a coach, you respect that.” The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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