JJ Redick on why he took Lakers job: 'I just want to help people'

JJ Redick had it good. After a prosperous 15-year career in the NBA, Redick had a cushy job as an ESPN analyst. When he wasn’t on television, he was recording his wildly-successful podcast, “The Old Man and the Three.”

Then, Redick traded in his comfy lifestyle for one of the most demanding positions in the basketball world. On June 24, the Los Angeles Lakers named Redick their next head coach.

During an appearance at the Lakers’ 99-80 loss against the Houston Rockets at the Las Vegas Summer League on Friday, Redick revealed why he took the position.

“Part of that is that I’m just a sicko and I’m a masochist, and I want to sign up for high stakes, high pressure,” Redick said. “The other part of it is in my retirement, I realized what gives me fulfillment and what gives me drive and motivation, and that’s competition, that’s performance, that’s collaboration, being part of a team.

“I certainly felt all of that doing media. [But] the other parts of that are leadership and service, and — I said this in my press conference — a big driving factor in this for me is I just want to help people. I want to help players. I want to help coaches. I want to empower people. I absolutely want to help this Lakers organization get back to the top.”

JJ Redick has a difficult journey ahead of him

Redick reportedly agreed to a four-year deal with the Lakers. If Redick is looking for a challenge, he chose the perfect job. Besides his nine-year-old son’s youth team, Redick has no prior coaching experience.

Moreover, he isn’t inheriting an enviable situation. The Lakers posted a 47-35 record in the regular season last year before falling to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Lakers have only advanced past the first round once in the past four seasons.

Redick is excited to attack the tall task ahead of him.

“This process has been surreal, to say the least,” Redick said during his introductory press conference. “I take this responsibility very seriously… The Lakers have some of the most passionate fans around the world, and the expectation is a championship, and so it’s my job to deliver a championship-caliber team. That’s what I signed up for.

“I just felt like this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I have zero coaching experience in the NBA, but I would argue that I’m very experienced. It started 22 years ago when I went to Duke.”