JJ Redick Defends LeBron James amid Jeanie Buss Rumors, Says Lakers Star is 'Awesome to Coach'
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick backed LeBron James amid rumors involving the four-time MVP and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss.
"Everybody in this organization appreciates LeBron and appreciates what he's done for the Lakers," Redick said Thursday, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "He's carried on the legacy and also, truthfully, the burden of being a superstar for the Los Angeles Lakers for eight years and he's done it with class."
"And personally … I've enjoyed coaching him at the highest level - 10 out of 10," he added, per McMenamin. "That's not to say LeBron and I don't have our disagreements, but I know with that guy, he's going to put everything into this. And it's been awesome to coach."
ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported Wednesday that Buss had "privately grumbled" about what she believed was James' "outsized ego and the overt control that he and Klutch Sports, which represents both James and Anthony Davis, exerted over the organization at times."
Per Holmes, Buss also "privately mused" about not giving the 21-time All-Star a contract extension in 2022 "and, later that year, even about trading James, with the LA Clippers floated as a possibility."
The start of James' tenure with the Lakers also appeared to be a point of contention with Buss.
She didn't like that James was "considered a savior for a floundering franchise when he arrived in 2018 and that it was he who chose the Lakers rather than the team's leadership receiving praise for landing him," via Holmes.
Buss eventually responded to the report in a statement to The Athletic on Wednesday.
"It's really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama," Buss said. "To say that it wasn't appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him."
Redick hasn't been with the Lakers for the majority of the shared tenure between James and Buss, as he was hired by the organization in June 2024. Los Angeles owns a 76-48 record during his budding head coaching career.
James has continued to perform at a high level under Redick, averaging 23.9 points, 7.9 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game on 51.2/36.6/76.9 shooting splits since the start of the 2024-25 season.
