NBA Exec Questions If JJ Redick Would 'Scream at' LeBron James If Hired as Lakers HC

There's no question that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and head coaching candidate JJ Redick have a budding relationship, and one NBA executive asked whether that would impact Redick's ability to lead the Lakers, per the Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike.

"One Redick skeptic in Chicago—and to be clear, there are plenty—wondered about his gravitas when it would come to holding James accountable," Woike wrote. 'Would he scream at LeBron to get back when he was complaining about a foul?' the executive wondered."

Other executives have also wondered whether Redick will be willing to deal with a group of players who "are generally more laid-back," Woike reported.

Redick and James were peers in the NBA from 2006 to 2021 when Redick retired, and they have reconnected through the media world recently. Together, the two host Mind the Game, a podcast that takes listeners into the minds of Redick and James to understand basketball at a higher level.

While Redick has no prior NBA coaching experience, he has been on the shortlist for several teams around the league. He interviewed with the Charlotte Hornets in April and was seen as a "serious candidate," though the team ultimately hired Charles Lee.

Redick is also emerging as a favorite for the Lakers' job. NBA insider Marc Stein reported Wednesday that the job "might well be his to lose in the interview process."

Taking a chance on an inexperienced coach could be a risk for Los Angeles, but it could come with a high reward. Redick would bring some new insight to the Lakers and could maximize a roster that seems to rely heavily on James and his co-star Anthony Davis.