Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has surpassed even the most ambitious expectations for his first season leading an NBA locker room. He's helped Los Angeles navigate numerous bouts with adversity, including injuries, questionable front office decisions, and colossal trades—both successful and otherwise.
As Redick enters the final stretch of his first regular season as a head coach, he spoke candidly about one of the individuals who helped him prepare for this moment.
Redick played 15 NBA seasons after producing one of the most storied college basketball careers of all time. That certainly gave him a unique perspective on the life of a professional athlete. As he looked to transition to coaching, however, it was an unlikely ally who helped him bridge the gap.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, it was Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla who helped Redick learn what it takes to interview for and properly manage a head coaching job.
“When I was going through this process, [Joe Mazzulla], along with a few other coaches in the NBA, were really helpful,” Redick said. “Not just in preparing for an interview, but just really helping me understand what this was and what it required.”
Mazzulla shared his thoughts on Redick, explaining that he respects how committed he was to crossing the proverbial line in the sand.
“I have the utmost respect for him,” Mazzulla said. “He was sitting across from this table and then decided to enter the arena. I wish more people would do that. So the fact that he did that and wanted to be in the arena just shows how competitive he is.”
It's fascinating to see such a unique form of mutual respect between the two coaches of the Association's marquee franchises—especially when one considers they could meet in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla helped JJ Redick make transition to coaching
No one has made a more polarizing transition to coaching than Redick. Even after 15 years as an NBA player, his hiring was panned by many due to the fact that he lacked coaching experience and was instead in the spotlight due to his career as an analyst and po
Mazzulla has made quite an interesting transition to one of the biggest jobs in sports in his own way, however, which likely influences some of their mutual respect.
Mazzulla played five seasons at West Virginia before instantly transitioning into the coaching realm. At just 36 years of age, he's already been a coach for 14 years—an insane fact considering he's younger than many active NBA players.
That includes Lakers superstar LeBron James, whom Redick has been coaching during his monumental first season in the NBA.
Much as Redick's hiring took many by surprise, the same can be said about Mazzulla's. Mazzulla became the interim head coach of the Celtics at just 34 years of age, taking over for Ime Udoka and navigating a tense and uncertain situation.
Within two seasons, Mazzulla had not only secured the full-time job, but led the Celtics to their 18th championship.
Out in Los Angeles, Redick is looking to follow in Mazzulla's footsteps. He's a 40-year-old first-year head coach who traveled an unusual path to one of the biggest jobs the NBA has to offer, and has already overdelivered on his potential.
One can only hope that Redick will find one more similarity between h
