“The trend is always making excuses. Doc, we get it, taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard… but it’s always an excuse.” Serving as an analyst in February, JJ Redick didn’t hesitate in carrying out a brutal takedown of Doc Rivers after a big Bucks loss. It’s now October, and as Michael Scott would say, “How the turntables….”. After all, Redick is now himself the boss of not just any franchise, but the Lakers, and doubts around his coaching inexperience further ignited, as they lost two preseason games. Despite having won their recent game against the Bucks, JJ did seem to have a deeper understanding of the shoes Rivers has worn for decades.

Before the Lakers-Timberwolves clash, JJ Redick was asked about his relationship with the NBA veteran. After all, this was the first time that they would meet as head coaches. The 40-year-old was then quick to dismiss any claims about a rift between them, stating via ESPN, “I don’t carry beef with people. And I’m not going to get into the history of Doc and I’s relationship right now. And I probably won’t ever. He’s fine in my book.”

To Redick’s credit, however, he had owned up to his mistake on Thursday itself. “After that ‘First Take’ appearance, there were a number of conversations that I had with people – both at ESPN and within the league – that provided a good amount of perspective whether I had stayed in the media or whether I had pursued a coaching job,” the Lakers boss continued.

“I will say this again, (I) regret my tone in that case. I’ve owned that and I regret my tone.” Believe it or not, Rivers and Redick do share some history before the trashing. JJ played under the veteran coach from 2013 to 2017, during his Clippers stint. This made the analyst’s remarks all the more hurtful. Every beef, however, has a foundation, and the duo has not been able to keep theirs a secret.

In April 2023, in an interview with Malika Andrews, Doc Rivers revealed that his Clippers teams “were never going to win” because the squad “didn’t get along well enough.” This got a reaction out of both JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford, who highlighted that the comments felt “weird.” Crawford, however, formed an opinion that the veteran coach was simply trying to avoid accountability for the losses. A year later, Redick’s comments would follow.

The past two losses saw JJ himself come up with some ‘reasons’ for the Lakers’ poor performance. After the Wolves’ loss, he went viral for stating, “This was not a ‘game-plan’ game for us. There is some stuff that frankly, in 3 days of practice, in a walkthrough, shoot-around, you’re just not gonna be able to cover.” With the recent Bucks win, however, Redick had the first major victory of his HC career. Instead of using all this to disparage his former player, Rivers himself is following the same path, and laying any ‘beef’ to rest.

Doc Rivers gives a shoutout to JJ Redick amid beef rumors: “The Lakers are running now”

Serving his 26th year as NBA coach, no one can question the vast level of experience that Doc Rivers holds. From being a player during the Michael Jordan era, beginning his coaching career under the height of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, to having his players hoop against the likes of Stephen Curry and LeBron James, the 62-year-old has seen it all. Therefore, any compliment he hands out is not something to be taken lightly. Through his remark to JJ Redick, the veteran coach may have now elevated his peer’s status.

Aftermath of the Lakers-Timberwolves preseason game, Doc said he had expected Redick’s Lakers to have their strength in “execution stuff, because that’s what we were known for when he played for me.” His expectations did not meet a wall of disappointment, as he added, “Ran a lot of it. As a matter of fact, I watched the first two games and many of the sets we ran with the Clippers, the Lakers are running now. … I did the same thing as a player. You run what you know well and what you like.”

“My guess is that JJ will probably take from all the coaches he played for.” Similarly to the Lakers HC, Doc Rivers was asked about the current bond between them. He made it clear that the remarks made on First Take weren’t an issue, revealing, “Coaches, they pour into players. They really do. They pour in a ton of love to players. And oftentimes that love is rejected, it’s just the way it is.”

With this, the only rivalry now between them will be a professional one. The Lakers may have had their win this time, but the same may change anytime in the next couple of months when the stakes and tensions rise.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.