The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a humiliating 134–93 defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, leaving head coach JJ Redick visibly frustrated and searching for answers. Following the game, Redick appeared to be at a loss for words—until he finally gathered his thoughts and delivered a candid, emotional response.
“There has to be some ownership,” Redick said after a long, contemplative pause when asked what his message to the team was after such a devastating loss. “When a group is not performing well, it’s easy for everyone to splinter. It’s easy to avoid taking responsibility, especially when you’re embarrassed. And I’m embarrassed. We’re all embarrassed. This was not a game where I felt we played with the right fight or the right level of professionalism.”
Redick did not hold back in expressing his disappointment, calling out the need for greater accountability both on and off the court. “There has to be some ownership on the court,” he continued. “And I’ll take all the ownership in the world. This is my team, and I lead it. I’m embarrassed by what happened tonight, but at the end of the day, I can’t physically organize us out there. I can’t physically be the ball. I can’t physically be the one talking, calling out reads, calling out coverages. And to be clear, I’m not blaming the players. I own this. But we also need some leadership and accountability from those who are on the court.”
Redick’s frustration was palpable as he spoke about the team’s current state of disarray. “There’s not a sense from me that we’re together right now,” he admitted.
The lack of cohesion, he suggested, is becoming increasingly evident as the losses continue to pile up. The Lakers, once considered one of the league’s most promising teams, have now lost six of their last eight games, dropping to a disappointing 10 losses in the 2024-25 season.
The low point of Wednesday night’s game came during the third quarter, when a defensive breakdown led to a particularly embarrassing possession that seemed to encapsulate the Lakers’ struggles.
Players were out of position, miscommunication led to easy scoring opportunities for the Heat, and the Lakers looked completely out of sync. It was a stark reminder of just how far the team has to go to find their rhythm and start playing cohesive basketball again.
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Redick’s comments after the game suggest that the Lakers’ issues are not purely tactical, but deeply rooted in a lack of unity and ownership.
He stressed the importance of each player stepping up—not just in terms of individual performance, but in how they communicate and support each other on the court. “The fight wasn’t there tonight,” Redick said, his disappointment unmistakable. “And that’s on all of us, myself included. We have to figure out how to respond to this and come back with a sense of pride.”
As the Lakers prepare for their upcoming game against the Atlanta Hawks, Redick emphasized that it’s time for the team to take a hard look in the mirror. “We can’t let this keep happening,” he said. “We need to find our identity, and we need to come together as a team. There’s no other way forward.”
The Lakers will head to Atlanta for a Friday night matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET, hoping to put this dismal performance behind them and start building some much-needed momentum.
The Lakers’ struggles have been a major talking point throughout the early stages of the season, as they have yet to live up to the high expectations placed on them.
Despite having a roster filled with talent, the team has failed to find consistency, particularly on the defensive end. Redick’s comments suggest that the players need to take more accountability, but they also reflect his own commitment to figuring out how to turn things around.
“I still believe in this group,” Redick concluded. “But belief isn’t enough. We have to show it on the court. We have to prove that we want it. And that starts with everyone taking ownership—not just in the locker room, but in every single possession on the floor.” It’s a message that resonates, especially after a loss that highlighted all the ways in which the Lakers are falling short.
Whether or not the team can respond remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Lakers’ season is at a turning point, and how they react now will determine their fate moving forward.
