As he was officially introduced as the Los Angeles Lakers’ new head coach on Monday, JJ Redick announced his retirement from the podcasting.
But fear not, fans of Mind the Game; Redick says that the podcast he co-hosted with LeBron James (and that may or may not have bolstered his Lakers candidacy) could still continue. It will just need a different co-host.
“I should have clarified — Mind the Game may continue, just not with me,” Redick told ESPN LA’s Mason & Ireland. “I am going to have zero involvement in any sort of media production. I just want to be clear on that. I want to coach basketball and only coach basketball.”
While likely temporary, Redick’s retirement from media is hardly surprising. Being the head coach of basketball’s most famous franchise is daunting enough without the additional time commitments — and potential distractions — that remaining a podcast host could create.
As for Mind the Game, it will certainly be interesting to see whether the show continues and if so, who will be hosting.
While the podcast has built a sizable following as a show focused on Xs and Os, much of that was seemingly generated based on James’ star power and Redick’s unique perspective. If the show — which is co-produced by James’ Uninterrupted and Redick’s ThreeFourTwo production companies — does continue, it will need to find a co-host who can match (or at least come close to) the new Lakers head coach’s basketball acumen and on-air chemistry with James.
Between the show’s strong start and the opportunity to co-host a show with one of the biggest stars in sports, there will surely be no shortage of potential candidates vying for the opportunity to replace Redick. And based on his comments, it certainly appears as though Mind the Game will consider such options as its now-former co-host focuses on his new job.
[ESPN LA]
