When the Los Angeles Lakers ended the 2023-2024 season with a 47-35 report and a loss to the Denver Nuggets within the first spherical of the playoffs, the staff fired head coach Darvin Ham.
Ham had solely been on the job for 2 years after he changed Frank Vogel following the 2021-22 season.
Weeks of hypothesis handed because the franchise vacillated amongst a number of names which included former NBA participant JJ Redick and present College of Connecticut males’s basketball coach Dan Hurley.
Lastly, on June 24, the Lakers introduced that Redick can be its twenty ninth head coach within the group’s historical past.
The hiring has been panned by critics as Redick has by no means been an NBA coach and was already an excellent buddy, and fellow podcast host, of LA ahead LeBron James.
On Friday, Steve Francis, who performed for 3 NBA groups from 1999 by means of 2008, shared his ideas concerning the rent.
“There’s no way that just because he went to Duke, and he criticizes people on television, like he sounds like a great coach but… All these guys who have experience and get looked over just because it’s the ‘it’ thing right now with generation cuz these guys are doing these podcasts,” stated Francis, through Legion Hoops on X.
Steve Francis doesn’t approve of Lakers hiring JJ Redick:
“There is not any means that simply because he went to Duke, and he criticizes individuals on tv, like he appears like an important coach however… All these guys who’ve expertise and get appeared over simply because it is the ‘it’ factor… pic.twitter.com/9WnG1hJIil
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 12, 2024
Earlier this yr, James and Redick joined collectively to co-host “Mind the Game,” a podcast that discusses all issues basketball.
Due to that relationship, a number of media members and followers alike consider that James had a heavy affect in Redick’s hiring.
A standard thread among the many naysayers is that James will run excessive of his former podcast companion and that Redick is solely a placeholder as James nears the top of his profession.
