The NBA world is still adjusting to the surprising appointment of JJ Redick as the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach, following Darvin Ham’s dismissal over two months ago. With no prior coaching experience at any level, the 40-year-old Redick brings significant questions, despite his strong basketball IQ and a past connection with LeBron James . While Shaquille O’Neal has expressed doubts about Redick’s qualifications, his former ESPN colleague, Stephen A. Smith, has stepped up to defend him.

On the recent segment of his long-running show, Stephen A. Smith addressed Shaquille O’Neal’s concerns, where Shaq suggested that Redick’s true challenge would be earning the respect of the Lakers’ roster—excluding LeBron James. Shaq expressed doubt, noting he wouldn’t want to be coached by someone he played against just a few years ago. Smith countered with a sharp retort: “If they were paying you and you knew the check was in the meal, you’d play. Stop that, Big Boy, you know I know better than that.”

Despite the criticism about Redick’s inexperience, Smith argued that Redick’s basketball knowledge is what truly counts.

“JJ Redick is one of the great, great players that ever played in college basketball. He’s also a 15-year NBA veteran, and although I lament how he got the Lakers job because clearly, that’s something that LeBron James manipulated to his liking. If you know anything about JJ Redick, this brother knows basketball,” said Smith.

Smith continued, “He knows basketball, and so it’s going to be real interesting to see how he affects the players in terms of his coaching prowess. But I know one thing: players ain’t gonna question his knowledge.”

As a seasoned ESPN analyst, Stephen A. Smith is well-acquainted with JJ Redick’s basketball IQ. Fans who missed seeing Redick’s insights on ESPN likely caught them on his podcast, ‘Mind the Game,’ co-hosted by LeBron James. However, Smith criticized the podcast—not for its content, but for its timing, suggesting that it inadvertently boosted Redick’s profile just as the Lakers’ coaching position became available.

“I just don’t like how LeBron did it. You could have waited till the season was over to start the damn podcast with him, or get him the job with the Lakers as opposed to doing it in the middle of the damn season when you knew that Darvin Ham was on a hot seat.” Smith continued, “I think that’s BS, and I called it.”

With the NBA season just two months away, Shaquille O’Neal is now one of many questioning whether Redick can earn the respect of his players. Chris Broussard, too raised the same question – Can Redick really earn the respect of his players? Broussard has even pointed out that Redick’s toughest challenges might be LeBron James and Anthony Davis, especially since LeBron was lukewarm toward Darvin Ham, and Davis reportedly didn’t consider Redick his top choice for head coach.

Ex-NBA star, Udonic Haslem also suggested that Redick might face a “cynical locker room” where players could question whether directives are coming from him or LeBron. However, Redick isn’t without supporters, as two individuals closely tied to the 17-time championship-winning franchise have spoken out in his defense.

How did Magic Johnson and Jeanie Buss come to JJ Redick’s defense?

Even after 28 years of retirement, Magic Johnson remains deeply connected to the Lakers, the franchise where he spent his entire 13-year career and won five championships. Johnson, who closely monitored the coaching search, was quick to dismiss doubts about Redick’s ability to manage the experienced Lakers roster.

“We as Lakers fans gotta give JJ Redick, our new coach, some time to really help him understand how to utilize the talent, how to coach the talent, and then also what schemes will work, and what schemes won’t work,” said Johnson in a statement.

“Because this is not going to be easy for him. But I think having LeBron as your captain (helps).” Even if any player chose to defy Redick, a word from the NBA All-Time Scorer would be enough to set them straight.

Johnson’s statement of support came just around the same time that Lakers owner Jeanie Buss finally chimed in on her franchise’s choice of head coach. She cleared any doubts that might have originated from her months-long silence by stating, “We were looking for a candidate that would bring something different and really invest in developing young players. And you know, JJ’s the right person for us.” Furthermore, Buss also made it clear that she isn’t expecting too many miracles right from the first season, and wants to allow Redick the chance to grow. With players already coming in to train under assistant coaches Nate McMillan and Scotty Brooks, the confidence in the new HC seems to be on display.

Where do you stand on JJ Redick’s current assessment as HC? Let us know in the comments down below.