When the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with head coach Darvin Ham after just two seasons, the move sparked mixed reactions.
Despite Ham’s respectable 90-74 record and a successful run in the 2023 In-Season Tournament, the team’s back-to-back playoff exits at the hands of the Denver Nuggets signaled a need for change. With LeBron James in the twilight of his career, the Lakers were under pressure to find a leader capable of maximizing their championship window.
Surprisingly, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka looked outside the traditional coaching pool and tapped former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick for the role. Redick, 40, had no prior professional coaching experience-his only stint was as a volunteer coach for his son’s youth team.
This bold appointment raised eyebrows across the league and, as Buss recently revealed, even gave her pause.
“I didn’t want to keep switching coaches if things didn’t work out,” Buss said in an interview with SiriusXM. “I wanted someone who aligned with Rob’s vision. While I had concerns about hiring a first-year coach, I kept hearing great things about JJ.”
Encouraged by Pelinka’s confidence and widespread positive feedback, Buss ultimately greenlit the decision.
A promise to celebrate the forgotten champions
With Redick steering a rejuvenated Lakers squad, optimism in L.A. is soaring. And with that renewed energy comes a long-overdue promise from Buss-to finally honor the 2020 championship-winning team.
That title, secured in the Disney World bubble during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, never received a proper celebration. No parade. No fanfare. Just confetti falling in an empty gym.
“Someday, if we’re fortunate enough to win another title, I want to use that moment to celebrate the 2020 team,” Buss said. “We were under lockdowns then. It wasn’t that we didn’t want to honor them-it just wasn’t possible.”
If the Lakers manage to win this year, fans can expect a celebration that pays tribute not only to the current roster but also to the team that triumphed under extraordinary circumstances five years ago.
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