Former Sixer JJ Redick agrees to four-year deal to become Lakers head coach
Redick, who established himself as a podcaster and broadcast color commentator, played in the NBA for 15 seasons, including two years with the Sixers.
JJ Redick has been added to the list of former 76ers players who landed NBA head coaching gigs.
As expected, the Los Angeles Lakers will hire the former 15-year veteran and current ESPN broadcaster with no coaching experience.
The Lakers hosted Redick for a formal interview on Saturday after Connecticut coach Dan Hurley turned down a six-year, $70-million deal to coach the team. Redick will get a four-year deal to become the 29th head coach of the storied franchise and the fourth since LeBron James arrived in 2018.
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Redick is better remembered in Philly for the two seasons he spent with the Sixers. Redick, initially signed a one-year, $23 million contract with the team on July 8, 2017. Then he inked a $12.25 million deal for the 2018-19 season before finishing his career with the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
Redick averaged 17.6 points while shooting 40.7% on three-pointers in 146 games with the Sixers. He averaged a career-high 18.1 points on the 2018-19 squad that suffered a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the playoffs. That game ended with Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard hitting a four-bounce game-winner at the buzzer.
But Redick joins a long list of former Sixers who went on to become NBA head coaches that includes: Billy Cunningham, Doug Collins, Mo Cheeks, Fred Carter, Monte Williams, Willie Green, Dolph Schayes, Matt Guokas, Kevin Loughery, Michael Curry, and Kevin Ollie, who was the Brooklyn Nets interim coach this past season.
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Redick is known for having a bright and analytical basketball mind. That enabled him to quickly ascend as a television analyst at ESPN after his retirement in 2021. The 39-year-old also established himself as one of the best podcasters during and after his playing career. One of his podcasts, “Mind the Game,” is co-hosted by James.
The Lakers reportedly honed in on Redick at last month’s NBA draft combine in Chicago. Shortly afterward, Hurley became the surprise frontrunner and was offered the job. After he turned it down, the search recentered on Redick, who interviewed between Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals, which he called for ABC/ESPN.