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The Los Angeles Lakers are once again in the market for a new head coach after firing Darvin Ham following a second consecutive drubbing at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs.
A favorite has quickly emerged, and it’s in the form of an inexperienced yet unsurprising candidate who has close ties to LeBron James.
The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that former NBA player and current announcer/podcaster JJ Redick appears to be the slight favorite to land the head coaching gig, as the team is reportedly seeking it’s own Steve Kerr or Erik Spoelstra-type leader to be with the organization for a decade or longer.
JJ Redick appears to be the slight favorite for the Lakers’ head coach vacancy, per @jovanbuha (https://t.co/Ipjn7JtBz9).
Los Angeles is seeking their own Steve Kerr or Erik Spoelstra-type to be with their organization for hopefully 7-12 years. pic.twitter.com/nmXTU14144
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 14, 2024
Redick has close ties to the team in the form of LeBron, whom he recently launched a podcast with titled Mind The Game.
It’s no secret that LeBron has a hand in coaching decisions, as he was a big reason why Darvin Ham got the job in the first place and was a big reason why the Cleveland Cavaliers moved from David Blatt to Ty Lue a few years back.
It’s obvious that Redick has a clear passion and deep curiosity about the game of basketball as he has become one of the most thoughtful and respected media members since his retirement.
Hiring the guy LeBron wants is likely going to factor into whether or not James even returns to LA this offseason, not to mention the fact that his son Bronny is in the draft as well.
All signs point to Redick at the moment, but we’ll see how things unfold in the coming weeks.
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