Being an NBA head coach can be stressful and challenging due to the demanding nature of the job. Every decision or lack of one can become a critical issue. Ultimately, results are the measure of a head coach’s success. If there are none to show, the media and analysts won’t stop with the criticism. As the HC of the Lakers, a legacy club, Redick has to walk a thin line, especially because he’s a novice in the field. Yet his mindset is crystal clear. “I really don’t give a f—,” he said when concerns were raised about his hire as an inexperienced coach.

To Redick, the job of coaching the Lakers is a pathway to greatness. His analytical worldview makes him an ideal candidate. But as is with anything attached to the Purple and Gold, criticism is inevitable. Darvin Ham faced it, and Russell Westbrook went through a rough phase with it. Likewise, JJ Redick is no different. He too could face the brunt of the ardent fans. The best way to deal with it though is facing it head-on.

“There are going to be memes and GIFs [of me] for sure. It’s inevitable,” Redick addresses.

The former Duke product understands the ruthlessness that comes with being the head coach of such an esteemed club. Social media and fans will always be bludgeoning. He spoke about it in 2018, calling it a “dark place”. But now at the helm, the 40-year-old has clarity. The only insights he is concerned with are himself and the staff around him.

“The clear-minded thing is super important because it’s ultimately the people in the coaches’ room with me as we self-audit and project and look forward and look behind, whatever we’re doing with that specific day’s task, it has to come from within that room. And we have to be clear-minded versus, ‘Hey guys, Joe Smith47198 said we’re doing a bad job calling timeouts,” he told LA Times.

Knowing he isn’t well immersed as a coach, Redick has a staff that comprises seasoned coaches who are brimming with wisdom. Nate McMillan has plenty of experience as a player and then coached the Hawks during their most successful playoff story in recent years. Scott Brooks oversaw the electric OKC, which consisted of high-profile stars such as Westbrook and Durant.

For him, their inputs and strategies are all he is concerned with. Obviously, with the widespread of the internet, Redick can’t help but avoid skepticism altogether. However, he has learned the art of “self-motivation”, a trait he feels is essential in staying even-keel and clear-minded in his new job.

But what might help him most is his very own past.

“Don’t need external motivation” – JJ Redick has been through the worst

Expectations and the burden of being the head coach of the Lakers are overwhelming as it is. It’s not a place for the light-hearted. Luckily though, JJ Redick has been through the cruelest of circumstances even before he made it to the NBA which would help him tackle any new challenges.

It started when he was merely a teenager. Playing for a powerhouse such as Duke and under the expert tutelage of Coach K, Redick was a top prospect. Simultaneously, everywhere he went, a parade of hecklers followed. Times got so difficult that during his Sophomore season, the Duke legend fielded the idea of leaving the game altogether.

But he prospered instead.

Even through the waves of hate, JJ Redick learned how to stay composed and burst into a college phenom. His last two seasons with the Blue Devils remain fresh in the program’s mind. It aided them in becoming the standing behemoths they are today. It was also then that he learned the virtues that he professes will help him succeed as the head coach of the Lakers.

“I don’t need external motivation. I let go of that at some point at Duke. I just let go of that aspect of it and the emotional highs and lows of that. It’s nice. You get rid of that,” Redick said.

He has tunnel vision as far as the Lakers go. JJ Redick sees a team that has the caliber to win championships, and the need for excellence drives his motivation. No matter for relentless the media or crowds will be, Redick isn’t one to get fazed. This is a job he has yearned for and is now prepared to produce results and start a new era in LA.

His approach is one of success and companionship with those around him. But does he have the tools to bring success back? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.