All eyes will be on JJ Redick this year in his rookie season as an NBA head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s a pressure-packed situation as someone with no coaching experience will walk into the league’s most famous franchise with one of its two greatest players of all time and expected to win right away.
But Redick has all the experience in the world when it comes to another aspect in his job, dealing with the media, thanks to his time on First Take with Stephen A. Smith.
JJ Redick’s First Take appearances were a gift from the content gods because of how exasperated he was when it came to playing the game of morning debate shows. He often resisted the goading of his co-hosts to play along with the format, bemoaned that he couldn’t educate fans, and clearly didn’t care that he was often a square peg in a round hole.
But while Redick was slowly losing his mind in ESPN’s Seaport Studio, it seems to have benefitted him when it comes to answering questions from local media. After all, what’s a leading question about Rui Hachimura compared to sitting between Stephen A. Smith and Chris Russo?
So after one of Redick’s first practices with the Lakers, he took a question about the young Lakers forward from Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times and turned it on his head, asking the reporter about trying to create a narrative before going on to talk about how Hachimura could help the team this year.
JJ Redick answered the Rui question beautifully.
Reporter: Do you think Rui could take that next step for you guys?
JJ: what is the next step?
Reporter: you tell me?
JJ: you tell me, you’re creating the narrative… IDC about next step, I care about how he impacts winning. pic.twitter.com/sgr6WX5mXQ
— Devin. (@DevDock) October 3, 2024
If that’s how Redick is going to respond to a question about a role player in preseason, just imagine what’s going to happen when the stakes start going up and he has to talk about Anthony Davis and LeBron James? Then imagine what might happen if the pressure starts to build on Redick if the Lakers get off to a slow start. It could lead to some fascinating interactions between Redick and the media if not some explosive fireworks.
You can take JJ Redick out of First Take, but maybe you can’t take the First Take out of JJ Redick.
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