The Lakers walked into Indiana knowing they had to turn things around. After dropping three straight and seven of their last ten, the pressure was on. This four-game road trip wasn’t going to get any easier, so snagging a win against the Pacers felt like a must. Twice, L.A. built comfortable double-digit leads. Twice, the Pacers erased them in the blink of an eye. But when it came down to the wire, the Lakers found a way.

With the game on the line, Luka Doncic’s shot didn’t fall—but LeBron James was right there, tipping it in just before the buzzer. The final score? 120-119. The losing streak? Finally over. But there was a chink in the armor. LeBron has built a career on consistency, but Wednesday’s first half was anything but that.

He couldn’t buy a bucket, missing all five of his shots and heading into the break with just two points—both from the free-throw line—along with five rebounds and three assists. It was the kind of slow start you almost never see from him. In fact, this was only the fifth time ever that he failed to make a field goal in the first half of a game, and the first time since 2010. For someone who’s been a force in the league for two decades, a stretch like that felt almost unreal.

And how did the 21x All-Star feel? Frustrated. Don’t take my word for but his head coach’s. In the post game conference, Redick addressed James’ frustration and the missed opportunities that could have helped him get going earlier. “Certainly, there was a level of frustration from starting whatever it was—0-for-6 or whatever it was,” Redick admitted.

The Lakers coach also pointed out that the team failed to capitalize on chances to get the 4x MVP easy looks early on. “We missed him early on some early offense seals against smaller players. I think we missed him three times in the first half,” he explained. “Sometimes when you’re not in the offensive flow, just getting the ball at the rim, scoring a layup, getting to the free-throw line—that can really get you going. So we kind of missed out on some opportunities to get him going earlier.”

Despite the struggles, Redick made one thing clear: James’ dedication never wavered. “Never have questioned that guy’s commitment to winning,” he stated.

In the end, the Lakers found a way to escape sleepless nights as there is only a gap of 3 matches between them, the 4th seed and Minnesota, which is 8th seed. James may have had a tough shooting night, but his presence and leadership remained crucial in securing the much-needed victory.

That leadership extends beyond the court, especially when it comes to shaping narratives. And on The Pat McAfee Show, James made sure to set the record straight—this time, about Redick and the skepticism surrounding his coaching tenure.

LeBron James believes him and JJ Redick share this one quality

LeBron James didn’t hold back on The Pat McAfee Show, taking shots at Stephen A. Smith and Brian Windhorst while also addressing the lingering criticism surrounding JJ Redick’s hiring.

When asked about the Lakers’ culture under Redick, James flipped the conversation before giving his take. “The best thing about JJ is he’s just a great podcaster… He’s just a podcaster that for some odd reason became a head coach and all because of me. It’s the weirdest thing in the world. Those conversations have died down,” James said before praising Redick’s relentless passion for the game. “He’s one of those guys, kind of just like me—if we lose a game or don’t play up to par, there’s no such thing as sleeping.”

Well, this confirms Redick’s claims of not sleeping when they were about to face the Denver Nuggets 23rd Feb, after having a 13-1 record in the last 14 games.

Early on, plenty doubted Redick’s transition from analyst to head coach, with skeptics arguing that James had a hand in his hiring. Both denied those claims, stating they only spoke once Redick was close to accepting the job. But once he started coaching, that narrative quickly fell apart.

Redick’s success erased any doubt, proving that his basketball IQ wasn’t just for show on a podcast. Even with the Lakers’ recent struggles, he’s a legitimate Coach of the Year contender. After years of instability, L.A. finally has a coach who looks built to last. And if he ever decides to pick up the mic again, he’s already got a Hall of Fame podcasting career waiting for him.