The web of the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coaching search is all tangled up now. That’s after the organization did an about-face this week in backing off ESPN analyst JJ Redick as the frontrunner for the job in favor of back to back NCAA champion Dan Hurley.
Redick cohosts a podcast with Lakers’ star LeBron James, while the media clamors for L.A. to center its search on who Lakers No. 2 Anthony Davis wants as coach, which may have been New Orleans’ James Borrego. But on Friday, radio host Dan Patrick questioned whether a separate link between Redick and Hurley actually undid Redick’s candidacy for the job.
During an interview with Brian Scalabrine, Patrick wondered aloud at the idea that Redick’s viral April 19 interview with Hurley on his podcast The Old Man and the Three opened Lakers brass’s eyes to Hurley’s bona fides.
“JJ Redick has Danny Hurley on his podcast and is asking questions about what Hurley runs at Connecticut, and then the Lakers’ brass and LeBron hear the podcast, and then they realize, JJ’s not the guy, Dan Hurley is the guy,” Patrick laughed. “Redick did himself a disservice, he took himself probably out of the running here because he had Hurley on.”
That conversation between Redick and Hurley, of course, led James to comment on X that Hurley was “so damn good” and “super creative” as an offensive tactician.
He’s so DAMN GOOD!!! Along with his staff. Super creative with their O! Love it
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 19, 2024
While Patrick’s idea is mostly a joke, it’s as good a guess as anything on what transpired in Laker land this summer. Redick was all but hired, it seemed, and now the most prolific coach in college basketball appears headed to Los Angeles.
Patrick also pushed for all the NBA media covering the Finals in Boston this weekend to get Redick on the record about his candidacy and the media circus around it. That, after all, would get closer to the truth.
While sports fans were all led to believe the popular podcast Redick hosts with James won him the Lakers job, a separate media gig might be his undoing.
So far, all Redick has said is that he has a bone to pick with The Athletic’s Shams Charania over Charania reporting Redick was on the precipice of taking the job.
Until we know more, a viral podcast clip and a response on social media is the best evidence we have.
[The Dan Patrick Show on YouTube]
