Five-time NCAA Championship-winning coach Mike Krzyzewski opened up on his former Duke Blue Devils’ player JJ Redick being named the new Lakers head coach. Coach K slammed Redick’s haters and defended the hiring.

“I don’t say anything to the haters because what they say doesn’t make a damn bit of difference. To think any organization would hire a head coach for glamorous reasons is ridiculous. If we worry about what people say, we’d go nuts. We should only worry internally as competitors, and he’s always only worried about himself. Look at the places he’s gone as a result. I have no doubt this will be no different.”

There is merit to hiring a player like Redick, as there are multiple instances of former players being thrust into these positions. However, Redick has a non-existent resume as a coach, which is a cause for concern. The last time a coach was hired with such little experience was Steve Nash on the Brooklyn Nets, a two-year experiment that ended with Nash out of the league and away from coaching.

The Lakers reportedly believe Redick could be a coaching savant similar to Pat Riley or Erik Spoelstra, but both had assistant coaching experience before taking on the top role.

A happy middle-ground for the Lakers is if Redick ends up like Jason Kidd, who was also hired as a coach with no prior coaching experience by the Nets in 2013. Kidd showed promise but ultimately flamed out in Brooklyn before repeating the cycle in a four-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks. But now, with over a decade of coaching experience under his belt, he led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals.

Coach K Helped The Lakers In Their Coaching Search

The Lakers coaching search has been a hot topic since their season ended, which led to the franchise firing Darvin Ham. As the Lakers undertook a long search for a new head coach, they reportedly consulted Mike Krzyzewski.

“Multiple sources briefed on the matter say one person who has become a respected unofficial resource for the Lakers during the process is ​​legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose deep knowledge of candidates, such as Redick and others, provides a lens into the culture the organization wants and the characteristics of a potential staff around the next head coach.”

Coach K is among the greatest college basketball coaches of all time but also has a strong bond with Redick, who played for him at Duke from 2002 to 2006. This relationship along with Redick’s podcast co-host LeBron James being the star player for the Lakers likely made the 15-year NBA veteran a more favorable option.

Even if outside factors have played a role, including Dan Hurley famously turning the job down, reports indicate that Redick earned the role with a nuanced breakdown of what he wants to do with the Lakers play style.

His desire to make Anthony Davis the focal point of how the team plays might have convinced the brass to start preparing for a future without LeBron James. Whether James re-signs or not, Redick will be suiting up as the franchise’s next head coach, signifying one of the biggest coaching gambles in modern NBA history.