When the Los Angeles Lakers made the surprising decision to hire JJ Redick as their new head coach, the move was met with immediate skepticism and backlash. While some Lakers players publicly expressed their support for Redick, the wave of criticism has not subsided months later.
The latest to voice disapproval is former three-time NBA All-Star Steve Francis, who didn’t hold back when discussing his concerns about Redick’s qualifications.
Appearing on Live From The District, Francis questioned the Lakers’ choice, pointing out Redick’s lack of coaching experience and suggesting that his hiring may have been influenced more by his media presence than his basketball acumen.
“I love basketball, but there’s no way that just because he went to Duke and he criticizes people on TV that suddenly he’s qualified to be a great coach,” Francis said. “You’ve got all these other guys who’ve put in significant work—like my boy David Vanterpool here in Washington, Sam Cassell, and so many others who have championship experience. These guys have been overlooked just because it’s trendy right now to hire guys who are making a name through podcasts.”
Francis was referring to Redick’s successful media career, particularly his popular podcast The Old Man and the Three, which had more than one million subscribers, solidifying it as one of the most well-known basketball podcasts.
Redick also co-hosted The Mind the Game podcast with LeBron James, which garnered over 600,000 subscribers in a short time. While these accomplishments in media are impressive, Francis argued that none of them translate to the actual demands of leading an NBA team.
“Just because you can talk about basketball, doesn’t mean you can coach it,” Francis continued. “Yeah, Redick was a great player at Duke—so much so that they retired his number—and he had a solid 15-year NBA career. But he’s never coached at any level. Meanwhile, there are guys with much more experience and better resumes who keep getting passed over.”
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One of Francis’ biggest concerns is Redick’s ability to command the respect of the Lakers’ locker room, particularly when dealing with veteran superstars like LeBron James.
He noted that even a coach like Darvin Ham, who has years of experience and was respected in the league, faced challenges getting through to LeBron.
“The thing that’s going to happen is just like with Darvin Ham—LeBron’s not going to listen to a word JJ is saying,” Francis said bluntly. “Why would he? If I were in LeBron’s shoes, I wouldn’t listen to him. I’d look at him and think, ‘What are you talking about? You know what I do on the court.’ So how’s he going to get through to the players when they don’t respect him as a coach?”
Francis also hinted at potential distractions Redick might face in his first year, particularly with the added media circus surrounding him and his personal life.
He believes that Redick’s transition from commentator to coach won’t be smooth and that the challenges of managing a superstar-filled locker room could prove overwhelming.
“It’s going to be tough for him, no doubt. He’s a rookie coach, and there’s going to be a lot of distractions,” Francis added. “We’ll see if he can handle the pressure and the personalities on that team, but it’s going to be a circus around him. Whether he can navigate that is still a big question mark.”
Despite the doubts, the Lakers have committed to Redick, and Francis acknowledged that there’s no turning back now. He, like many others, is waiting to see if the former shooting guard can silence his critics and prove that he’s up to the challenge of coaching one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.
“At the end of the day, the Lakers made their decision,” Francis concluded. “Redick is their guy, and soon enough we’ll see if he’s made for the job or if people like me were right all along.”
As Redick prepares for his first season at the helm, all eyes will be on him to see whether he can transition from a successful media personality to a leader capable of guiding the Lakers through the challenges of the NBA season.
Whether he succeeds or falters, his performance will undoubtedly be one of the most scrutinized storylines in the league.