JJ Redick apparently did some soul-searching after his first season as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Redick spoke to the media on Sunday morning ahead of the team’s second preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. One reporter brought up how Redick berated his team and staff behind the scenes following a road preseason game against the same Warriors, who throttled the Lakers 132-74 to close out the preseason.
Redick was asked about whether he’s done anything to help “manage” that fiery side he showed often in his first coaching season.
“I spent a lot of time after the season with my performance coach and did a lot of journaling, self-reflection, all that stuff,” Redick answered.
“I think the biggest thing for me is just having the ability to properly turn it on and off. Also recognizing … not everybody is wired like Kobe. … Not everybody is wired like Tom Brady or Kobe. You’ve got to kind of meet guys where they are.”
Redick may not have as decorated a career as Kobe Bryant or Tom Brady, but his dedication to the sport appears to be up there with some of the game’s best. Redick even channeled Bryant during a press conference after leading the Lakers to their 50th win last season.
However, there’s a big difference between being a player and a coach. There’s a reason guys like Bryant, Brady, or Michael Jordan probably wouldn’t make the best coaches. The standard some legends have set for themselves is impossibly high, and at a point that the majority of players will never come close to reaching.
Redick, who was not afraid to call out his Lakers players last season, appears determined to strike the right balance between basketball sicko and empathetic head coach.
