Not many rookie head coaches can say they went through the adversity JJ Redick did in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Navigating and managing all sorts of personalities is challenging for veteran coaches, but Redick managed to maintain a high level of buy-in from his players as a rookie.
He dealt with different iterations of the roster and also had to overcome his house being burned down in the Palisades fire.
Despite all of that, the former 15-year veteran was rewarded with a 50-win season and the third seed in an ultra-competitive Western Conference.
After a dominant win against the Houston Rockets on Friday, L.A. celebrated in style by drenching Redick with eight buckets of water. Rui Hachimura detailed the aftermath of the locker room but also revealed that Redick’s goal after he got hired was to win 50 games.
“I actually didn’t know we were gonna do it and then who was it, I think LeBron did it or Vando,” Hachimura said after their 140-109 win. “And it just kept going. The whole locker room is literally water. Straight water. He talked about how once he got hired, his goal was to get 50 wins and the third seed. So yeah, we did it and it was a big accomplishment for us. That’s why we did that.”
After instability from the head coaching position and roster turnaround the past few seasons, L.A. looks to have finally found stability. Hachimura spoke to that by expressing how much he has loved his time with the Lakers.
“I’m just happy to be here with this organization since I got traded here, with these teammates,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of teammates (laughs), but the core guys, I’ve known them for a long time off the court, on the court. I love being around them and just talking about winning, losing. We’re just building our chemistry strong every day, every week. Every year is different. I feel comfortable here and I wanna win here. We all have the same goals and I think this year we have a big chance, so I’m excited for that.”
Building a culture is a vital piece to becoming a serious contender for championships, and Redick was eager to accomplish exactly that.
Seeing how last season ended and the drama surrounding it, hearing Hachimura share glowing reviews of his coach and teammates speaks volumes.
Now, L.A. prepares for Redick’s first postseason run and hopefully, they are able to keep the good times rolling.
JJ Redick reacts to clinching postseason berth in first year as Lakers head coach
Coming into this season, head coach JJ Redick had all sorts of expectations placed on him, but no one truly knew how he would be as a coach.
Fast forward and he led the Lakers to a playoff berth and Redick reacted to that accomplishment.
