JJ Redick was outspoken as an NBA analyst on ESPN and now that he finds himself in the firing line, some of his comments from his television days are coming back on him.
Redick was a Coach of the Year candidate for his work during his first season on the sidelines with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was able to lead the Lakers to the #3 seed in the west and while adding Luka Doncic midseason certainly helped, Redick proved himself as a legit NBA coach and suceeding in making the transition from television to coaching.
However, his coaching in the playoffs as the Lakers lost in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves bordered on malpractice.
Redick refused to make a substitution in the second half of Game 4 in the series and then played without a center in Game 5, turning Rudy Gobert into Bill Russell. And although he was called out by former ESPN colleagues like Brian Windhorst and Kendrick Perkins, it may be his own words that are coming back to bite him the most.
In February 2024, JJ Redick went on a rant against Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers for making excuses and lacking accountability as a coach. Redick later stood by the comments even admitting that there was something personal towards Rivers behind them.
JJ Redick calls out his former head coach Doc Rivers, who he will be replacing on ESPN/ABC’s NBA Finals coverage.
“I’ve seen the trend for years. The trend is always making excuses. Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard… it’s always an excuse.… pic.twitter.com/NeTGnP1Suw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 20, 2024
Well, after the Lakers crashed out of the playoffs, it was Redick’s turn to make excuses.
One enterprising X user, SI_O2_, combined the First Take comments that JJ Redick made about Doc Rivers and combined them with his own comments after the Lakers’ Game 5 defeat to the Timberwolves, saying that he only had 13 games with his playoff rotation and that “these things don’t happen overnight.”
JJ Reddick on Doc Rivers last year
“There’s always an excuse… there’s never accountability from that guy”
JJ Reddick after the Lakers were eliminated in the first round
“We played 13 games with our playoff rotation… these things take time. It doesn’t happen over night” pic.twitter.com/STKJbCtzLh
— SI (@SI_02_) May 1, 2025
So what was that about making excuses again?
Redick also didn’t comport himself with a lot of composure when he blew up at a reporter before Game 5 who asked if he would consult his more experienced assistants with substitution patterns. We didn’t even see behavior like that when he was forced to sit between Stephen A. Smith and Chris Russo and listen to how great Bob Cousy would do against today’s NBA players.
Even though JJ Redick clearly has a great mind for basketball, he still clearly has a lot to learn about being an NBA coach. The first round exit to the Timberwolves served as a baptism by fire if nothing else. But unfortunately for JJ Redick, there’s a huge treasure trove of blistering takes from his television career that he will also be judged upon. And his harshest critic may just end up being himself.
