What’s the biggest trait of a perfectionist? Meticulous planning, checked. Attention to details, checked. Micromanagement, checked. Obsessive behavior towards own craft, checked. Add another one, venting and complaining after a win. No, it’s not about LeBron James. And don’t be surprised if the name here is JJ Redick. He did something today following the Lakers win over the Timberwolves in the season opener and LeBron gave his full support to his new boss.

Well, not at that exact moment, but through his Instagram account, making it clear to his 159 million followers that what his HC told was the truth and nothing but the truth. The 39-year-old called out a post by Sports Illustrated. The picture in the said post read, “JJ Redick had an odd request for the NBA over the basketballs used in the Lakers’ opener”. Responding to that by sharing it on his IG story, LeBron wrote, “It’s only odd if you ain’t a hooper!”

And why will only the hoopers understand? To explain that, Redick’s “odd” plea has to be studied. Following the game at Crypto.com Arena, Redick explained to the media why he doesn’t want new balls to be used in the games. Instead he wants the worn in balls. And he was dead serious.

“I’m not sure why we’re playing in real games … I’m being dead serious… I’m not sure why we’re playing in real games with brand new basketballs. Anybody who’s ever touched an NBA ball brand new, it’s a different feel and touch than a worn-in basketball…. Give the guys the opportunity to pick a good basketball…. You think I’m joking. I’m neurotic,” Redick told the gathered media.

While the plea hasn’t gathered momentum, LeBron and Co. have their tails up with the early win. The questions surrounding Redick’s coaching credentials were the biggest talking point after his hiring. The obvious narrative was, it was LeBron who moved the pieces behind the scenes to get his podcast buddy in the role. And even after the proactive approach from Redick and the rave reviews from the players, the Lakers are termed LeBron’s team and not JJ’s.

Lakers termed as LeBron James’ team, rather than coach Redick’s

Someone has to be living in a fool’s paradise to accuse JJ Redick for lack of ball knowledge (and thankfully enough no one has yet). The former Magic guard showed his brainstorming abilities on his podcast and the one co-hosted with LeBron that has been put to bed after Redick’s hiring. But how much say does he have on the team’s planning on the court? According to Charles Barkley, not much.

As the nation mourned over the final season opening show from Inside The NBA crew, Barkley made a straightforward claim in Boston. According to him, the Lakers belong to LeBron and he is the be all, end all. “It’s LeBron’s team. And JJ and LeBron, obviously, they had the podcast. So there’s nobody on that team gonna disrespect JJ because LeBron would had his a** on the next flight out of town,” Chuck said before the game.

This is another challenge for Redick which is to turn the narrative around. But he has to do it the hard way if we consider the fixtures in the immediate future. LeBron James at 39 wouldn’t be the main man in the team as the Tuesday night showed with Anthony Davis exploding. But when it comes to the Lakers, LeBron is probably The Man.