In June, addressing reporters for the first time as Los Angeles Lakers head coach, JJ Redick looked the part. He had the dark suit, the neatly coiffed hair and, most of all, the unabashed confidence. “I really don’t give a f---,” Redick said in response to a question that referenced skeptical comments about his ability to jump from the broadcast booth to the bench. Indeed, Redick had a vibe that was Pat Riley-esque, a comparison the Lakers’ brass has made internally. Riley led L.A. to four titles—a high standard for a novice to live up to.
Other teams have hired former players with no coaching experience before, with mixed results. The most encouraging example is Steve Kerr, who has led the Golden State Warriors to four titles, including in his rookie season of 2014–15 after inheriting a team that had won one playoff series in three years under his predecessor, Mark Jackson (himself a coaching newbie). Then there’s Steve Nash, who despite being handed an abundance of talent in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, was dismissed after two early playoff departures followed by a nail-in-the-coffin 2–5 start in 2022–23.
