Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and former Orlando Magic player JJ Redick are back with episode 9 of their highly acclaimed ‘Mind the Game’ podcast. During the same, the duo discussed the upcoming NBA Finals game, which will pit the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics against each other. Redick highlighted the increasing difficulty that a franchise faces as it keeps going higher during a tournament, with the NBA Finals proving to be the ultimate challenge. During such time, one needs to be careful about the smallest of mistakes and “nuances”.

Speaking from his own experience, the former player revealed how he could have won two of his earlier playoff games if he had been more mindful of certain small things. LeBron agreed with his co-host’s viewpoint, stating that he has “lived it as well, obviously”. This remark causes Redick to quickly reply and highlight his podcast partner’s resume compared to his.

“You’ve lived it many more times than I did,” said the Redick and he and LeBron let out a laugh. Knowing that the NBA All-Time Scorer is not planning to retire anytime soon, he further added, “You have lived it obviously. I should speak about you in the present because you’re still playing”.

During his 20-year NBA career, LeBron James has won over four NBA championships. He secured the most recent one back in 2020, during his second year with the Lakers. Since then, however, the player and his franchise have been struggling to relive their past success. During their most recent run, the player managed to reach the playoffs before getting eliminated by the defending champions Denver Nuggets. However, his past accomplishments have still put him on a higher pedestal than JJ Redick, who does not even have one championship ring to his name. Given the fact that he made the playoffs during 13 of his 15 NBA seasons, and even reached the NBA Finals back in 2009, the shooting guard has had much experience in playing in the postseason stage. However, the same could not allow him the chance to hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy even once.

Ever since Darvin Ham was fired by the Los Angeles Lakers back in early May, JJ Redick has come out as one of the top choices to be his replacement. But it does concern everyone, who is a basketball and a Lakers fan. Is he really the right person to coach LeBron James and his team?

Yes, the Lakers are “zeroing in on him” as Shams Charnia of The Athletic reported earlier, but it is quite concerning for two reasons:

One, Redick obviously doesn’t have the experience of holding the trophy in his hand, and two, he does not have any coaching experience. Yet, he does bring to the table many redeeming qualities.

So, is JJ Redick the right choice for the Lakers?

Charania for one believes that Redick does have the potential to head the team in the long run. He can command the locker room and hold every one on the roster accountable. He does have the basketball IQ for that. Redick can easily build a robust game plan, and offer the team the structure that they need.

But then again, there’s a negative consensus among many, like Paul Pierce who is speaking against Redick.

The Boston Celtics legend and 2008 NBA Champion Paul Pierce spoke out on JJ Redick and Shams Charania’s recent update. He interconnected the Lakers’ HC process with the potential theory that LeBron’s 19-year-old son Bronny, who reportedly does not have an impressive resume to his name, will be taken in by the Lakers in order to allegedly keep their star player within the roster. All of this convinced him to believe that the Lakers were no longer serious about possessing the ultimate NBA title.

“I gotta be honest with you I really don’t think this is really about a championship no more,” said Pierce. “This is about putting on a good show. This sounds like a script to me…. they hire JJ Redick, draft Bronny [James], or sign Bronny. Does this sound like something that’s like ‘we’re trying to move in a direction to win a championship?’ Or does it sound like ‘we’re trying to put on a show?’”

Along with zero championship rings, JJ Redick also does not have any coaching experience to his name. While his deep basketball IQ and his well-established friendship with LeBron have put him as a potential contender, Pierce does not believe that the same is enough.

If you wish to know more about another individual with four NBA championship rings, then be sure to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius.