Statements
JJ Redick has just taken on one of the most daunting jobs in the NBA. It's official.
This isn’t just about coaching the Lakers, though he did accept that job on Thursday with a four-year deal. The truly challenging job Redick faces is coaching LeBron James.
On the degree of difficulty scale, that responsibility ranks as high as "good luck" can get.
High Stakes Coaching
LeBron James remains a stunning talent, and teamed with Anthony Davis, he provides a real 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 a big-time opportunity, one of only 30 such jobs on Earth, swathed in purple and gold, and steeped in the prestige that comes with those storied colors.
However, there's undeniable pressure to win immediately. With LeBron's exacting standards, frenetic drive, and ability to oscillate between affection and a freeze-out, coaching him can be both remarkable and treacherous.
A History of Ambitious Expectations
Consider the coaching history surrounding LeBron's career. LeBron has had eight full-time head coaches, and only two — Erik Spoelstra and Ty Lue — were not let go on his watch. Five coaches were fired, while Luke Walton "mutually parted ways" with the Lakers in 2019 before taking the job with the Kings.
During his first year in Miami, LeBron wanted Spoelstra fired, 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 hit some form of not-as-sexy reality.
Ty Lue stepped into the fold after David Blatt, whom he was the top assistant coach to, got fired despite having a 30-11 record in 2016. That team eventually won an NBA Championship. However, it's worth noting that while Lue and Spoelstra both won titles with LeBron, a championship ring does not inoculate a coach against being fired later.
The Pressure of Winning
Frank Vogel, for instance, coached the Lakers to an NBA championship just three years ago. Two seasons later, he was gone. Calling coaching LeBron James a poisoned chalice would be disingenuous and lacking nuance, ignoring his greatness. But the job isn't exactly a professional fountain of youth, either. LeBron James can bring glory, but he can also be extremely challenging.
The point is: LeBron holds power with front offices and locker rooms and isn't afraid to wield it. Similar to 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 can burn you up if you don’t know how to navigate them.
Challenges Ahead
The current Lakers roster isn’t particularly strong. The LeBron-AD tandem is not enough, as evidenced by two consecutive years of being dominated and sent home during the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. LeBron will be 40 years old later this year, and the Western Conference Redick now coaches in looks incredibly competitive next season, possibly 13 teams deep.
Missing the playoffs in Redick's first season is a strong possibility. Does his podcast partnership with LeBron James protect him from the slings and arrows that can follow coaching an underwhelming team? Does he have the temperament, humility, and media-management skills to ride out the bad times before things turn around? And most importantly, can he actually coach?
Maybe the answers to these questions will be an emphatic yes. But Redick is about to test these questions under the most challenging of situations: coaching LeBron James, where the stakes are exceedingly high and any problems are almost certain to be laid at your feet.
Quotes
"good luck"
"mutually parted ways"
"rule by decree"