Lakers' Luka Doncic Recalls JJ Redick Being 'Pissed' After Losing Pickleball Match
Los Angeles Lakers players saw another side of head coach JJ Redick's competitiveness during their recent team-wide pickleball tournament.
Redick and guard Luka Dončić were on opposite sides in the semifinals. The five-time All-Star prevailed and happily recounted Sunday how his coach was "so pissed."
Dončić dispatched Redick but came up short against teammate Jake LaRavia and assistant coach Beau Levesque in the final.
Redick told reporters last Saturday the event "was a lot of fun" but "very competitive." He also jokingly complained about the team pairings, saying he had to shoulder a heavy burden for his three-man group:
The tactical side is obviously a big part of a coach's job. A good coach also knows how important it is to manage the locker room over the grind of an 82-game regular season.
The Lakers had four days off between their back-to-back wins over the Utah Jazz. The pickleball tournament was a great way to break up the monotony, and the players probably got a kick out of seeing Redick fail to hide his frustration at losing.
