Many NBA analysts have criticized the Los Angeles Lakers for hiring JJ Reddick as their new head coach. However, Reddick’s former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has supported the idea of his pupil taking the commands of the Lakers.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles gave Redick a four-year contract. Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss met with Redick “over the weekend” before he was offered the job on Thursday morning.
It is well known that Reddick has a strong relationship with Lakers star LeBron James, with whom he co-hosts a basketball podcast and many feel that strong bonhomie has played a key role in Reddick’s signing.
Krzyzewski said in an interview with Fox broadcaster John Fanta, “What they say doesn’t make a damn bit of a difference. To think any organization would hire anybody because of glamour is ridiculous. So every organization wants to win. If JJ gets a head-coaching job it wiill be because that organization believes JJ is the best person, best coach to lead their organization.”
“If you ask a competitor, or a coach, player, whatever, if we’re worried about what people said, we’d go nuts. We should only worry about what we’re thinking, and what the team is thinking about, then let’s go…”
On the other hand, former Laker Carmelo Anthony reckons JJ Reddick’s signing will be good for the team as they look to rebuild around Anthony Davis.
Anthony said on Brooklyn podcast, “If I’m the Lakers then I’m going, okay, I don’t know how much longer LeBron is going to be here … We got AD [Anthony Davis] to kind of build around. So if this is the overall, the big picture, why not get somebody like a JJ Redick who’s young that can rebuild…
“I think JJ is a very smart man. I think he’s a very — when it comes to sports, he knows hi s***.”
