Welcome to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ JJ Redick era! Tonight, the NBA world witnessed the first glimpse of the Purple & Gold side under the mastermind of The Duke. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a bright start as the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a blowout 107-124 win. But Redick did show signs of brilliance in the game. Apart from the disappointing loss, there is a bigger picture that ensures a bright future for the LA side. At least that’s what Bronny James felt as he dropped the hammer on Darvin Ham.

In the last two seasons, the Lakers put up a decent performance on the court, reaching the Conference Finals and First Round, respectively. However, the team reportedly had an unsettled locker room throughout the tenure. And, blame was put on Darvin Ham, who coached the team in the two seasons. While the players and the coach haven’t made any official statement regarding, the rumor mills and the insiders did their duty.

As a final nail in the coffin, the Lakers’ management dismissed Ham mid-way through his 4-season contract. Moreover, several reports suggested that LeBron James wasn’t happy with the coach and ultimately played a role in roping in JJ Redick. While there wasn’t any proof for the claim, Bronny James recently clarified it with his take.

The rising star, speaking to the media tonight, addressed the pleasant locker room that Redick has managed to create. But, during this admission, he spilled the beans about Ham. Bronny said, “He’s (Redick) a great coach so far. It’s been amazing vibes in the facility so far. I feel like it’s upped the vibes from what it was last year from what I’ve heard.”

While it seemed like usual praise, our eyes immediately widened when we heard, “From what I’ve heard”. So, it could be King James himself who’d have told him about the locker room troubles.

Are the Lakers really healing as implied by Bronny James?

Tonight, the Lakers under JJ Redick stepped on the court for the first time. The star coach revealed much earlier that LeBron James and Anthony Davis were ruled out of the game. So, the fans anticipated how the star coach would handle the rest of the roster along with his 9-man rotation policy.

Initially, the team looked all over the place, giving away a 21-point lead in the first half. However, Redick showed his class when he managed to bring it down to a one-point deficit in the second half, 84-83. During this process, JJ was on his feet most of the time, having a personal chat with individual players whenever he found the opportunity. After all, the initial season is all about “player development”. Moreover, the crowd witnessed an improved involvement from D’Angelo Russell, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht, Austin Reaves, and several others.

When it came down to Bronny, the star guard had an underwhelming debut, dropping 2 points with an assist and rebound. But, on the defensive end, he showed great signs of athleticism, which included three blocks. So, in the remaining 5 games in the preseason, we will get to know more about how Redick’s coaching works in the locker room.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.