Statements
JJ Redick has just taken on one of the most daunting jobs in the NBA. It's official.
While he may not be coaching the Lakers—though that is indeed a job he accepted on Thursday with a four-year deal—the truly challenging job Redick faces is coaching LeBron James.
The LeBron Coaching Conundrum
On the degree of difficulty scale, that responsibility ranks almost as high as "good luck" can get. Yes, LeBron James is still a stunning talent, and coupled with Anthony Davis, he provides a chance at success. LeBron's high profile and basketball savant qualities are elements any budding head coach would crave to elevate the start of their career. Coaching the Los Angeles Lakers is undeniably a big-time opportunity, swathed in purple and gold prestige, with only 30 such jobs on Earth.
However, there's also the undeniable pressure to win—immediately. LeBron, with his exacting standards, frenetic drive, and ability to oscillate between affection and something akin to a freeze-out, can be as treacherous as he is remarkable to coach.
Historical Challenges
Consider the coaching history that has surrounded LeBron's awe-inspiring career. Throughout his journey, LeBron has had eight full-time head coaches. Only two—Erik Spoelstra and Ty Lue—were not let go on his watch. Five coaches were fired, and Luke Walton "mutually parted ways" with the Lakers in 2019 before moving on to the Sacramento Kings.
King James wanted Spoelstra fired back in 2010, during his first year in Miami, realizing not all basketball royalty can rule by decree. This instance showcased Pat Riley's rare ability to tell LeBron no, highlighting the intangibles and troubles that can arise when the glitz and promise of a LeBron James team hits some kind of not-as-sexy reality.
With Ty Lue, he stepped in after David Blatt—whom he was the top assistant coach to—got fired despite having a 30-11 record at the time of his dismissal in 2016. That team went on to win an NBA Championship, illustrating that winning can be part of the equation but is no guarantee of job security.
Recent Departures and Current Stakes
Frank Vogel, who coached the Lakers to an NBA championship just three years ago, was let go two seasons later. To say coaching LeBron James is a poisoned chalice would be disingenuous, lacking nuance, and ignorant of his greatness. However, the job isn't exactly a professional fountain of youth, either.
LeBron James can bring you glory, but he can also be challenging in the extreme. The point is that LeBron has power within both front offices and locker rooms, and he's not afraid to wield it. As with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, part of LeBron's approach includes personality traits that could be seen as flaws if not for the greatness they help produce. Stars shine incandescently, but they can burn you up too if you don’t know how to navigate them.
Currently, the Lakers themselves just aren't that good. The LeBron-AD tandem is not enough. For two consecutive years, they've been roundly dominated and sent home during the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. LeBron will be 40 years old later this year, and the Western Conference, with its immense pressure to succeed, looks unbelievably deep next season—perhaps even 13 teams deep. Therefore, Los Angeles not making the playoffs in Redick's first season is well within the realm of possibility.
Redick's Unique Position
Does his podcast partnership with LeBron James protect him from the slings and arrows that often follow coaching an underwhelming LeBron James team? Does he have the temperament— and perhaps the humility and media-management skills—to ride out the bad and bitter times before things turn around?
Being on TV for 15 seconds does not make him a lock to successfully navigate the strange and wondrous terrain surrounding LeBron James' teams. And the biggest question remains: Can he actually coach? The answers to these questions may very well be an emphatic yes. But Redick is about to test those questions, the ones that may define this new stage of his career, under the most challenging of situations: coaching LeBron James, where the stakes are incredibly high and the problems that arise will almost certainly be laid at his feet.
Quotes
"good luck"
"mutually parted ways"
"rules by decree"