General manager Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers expressed a vote of ‘confidence and belief’ in JJ Redick after his first season with the team, handing the head coach a contract extension.
Details about the extension were not immediately announced during the press conference that the two men had with reporters on Thursday, Sept. 25.
‘We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us to continue to define the culture of Lakers excellence,’ Pelinka said. ‘We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what we’re going to lean into and this is what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity. I think having long-term planning is helpful as we build this team and go forward.’
Redick led the Lakers to a 50-32 record and the Pacific Division Championship last season. The Lakers were the third seed in the playoffs but lost the final three games in a five-game series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and were eliminated in the first round.
Redick expressed a level of gratitude for the opportunity to have his contract extended, but also the understanding of the position that he’s in.
‘It’s not lost on me the sort of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension,’ the coach said. ‘I recognize how fortunate I am to be with an organization that supports me that way.’
Following the conclusion of his first season with the Lakers, the coach explained that he spent the first four to six weeks looking back at what he learned.
“I thought about a lot of things,” Redick said. “You certainly reflect on the previous season, both the successes and the failures and you do a lot of self-assessment.”
Redick was officially introduced as the Lakers’ coach on June 24, 2024. He initially signed a four-year deal.
He spent 15 years in the league as a guard but did not have any coaching experience. He was hosting a podcast with Lakers superstar LeBron James before he was hired as the Los Angeles coach. Redick also worked as an analyst for ESPN/ABC.
Redick cited the philosophy and methodology of a coach as something he spent time thinking about in recent months.
‘The philosophy of how we want to play and the methodology as a coach of how I want to teach that,’ he said. ‘That’s where I spent a lot of my time this summer.’
Redick called the offseason productive and educational and spent time with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.
‘One of the takeaways from that was utility plays,’ Redick explained. ‘That’s something that is a football term and I think every basketball team has those utility plays. Those are plays where all three of those guys (James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves) feel involved in some capacity and they are sharing the court together. ‘
When do Los Angeles Lakers play?
The Lakers begin preseason play on Friday, Oct. 3 in Palm Desert, California, against the Phoenix Suns at 10 p.m. ET. The Lakers will start the regular season with a nationally televised game against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena.