Former NBA player Steve Francis slams Lakers over decision to hire JJ Redick as coach

After an extended hunt and a candidate's rejection of an offer, the Los Angeles Lakers named erstwhile NBA subordinate JJ Redick the franchise's adjacent caput manager successful June. 

Dan Hurley, who coached the UConn Huskies men's hoops squad to a 2nd consecutive NCAA rubric successful April, turned down an offer from the Lakers successful June.

The franchise's prime was rapidly met with some praise and skepticism, with galore critics pointing to Redick's deficiency of coaching experience. This week, three-time NBA All-Star Steve Francis became the latest professional to dependable concerns astir the Lakers' decision.

"I emotion basketball, but there’s nary mode that conscionable due to the fact that helium went to Duke, and helium criticizes radical connected television, similar helium sounds similar a large coach," Francis precocious told the "Live from the District" podcast.

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Former NBA subordinate Steve Francis attends a Chicago Bulls-Houston Rockets crippled Feb. 3, 2017, astatine the Toyota Center successful Houston.  (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images )

Francis past mentioned a mates of adjunct coaches helium believed the Lakers could person considered during their coaching search.

"But I look astatine it similar each these different guys who enactment a batch of important enactment in. You person my lad David Vanterpool present successful Washington. You person Sam Cassell. You person truthful galore guys who person title experience. All these guys who person acquisition and get looked implicit conscionable due to the fact that it’s the ‘it’ happening close present with this procreation due to the fact that these guys are doing these podcasts."

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Before taking the Lakers' coaching job, Redick hosted "The Old Man and the Three" podcast. He besides co-hosted the "Mind the Game" podcast with four-time NBA champion LeBron James.

During his introductory property conference, Redick acknowledged his nonexistent NBA coaching history.

"I person ne'er coached successful the NBA before. I don’t cognize if you guys person heard that," Redick said with a sarcastic smirk. 

Los Angeles Lakers caput manager JJ Redick speaks to the media during an introductory quality league astatine the UCLA Health Training Center.  (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today Sports)

But 1 newsman followed up that connection from Redick by asking if helium heard the critics and naysayers and whether he's looking to dispel immoderate "misconceptions" astir being the team's adjacent caput coach.

"It’s a valid question, and I surely heard everything," Redick responded. "It’s been a truly absorbing six weeks oregon truthful conscionable successful presumption of being portion of the engagement-farming industry. It’s been truly interesting.

"However, I don’t truly person a large reply for your questions due to the fact that I truly don’t springiness a f---. Like, honestly, I privation to manager the Lakers. I privation to manager the team. I don’t privation to dispel anything. I don’t. I privation to go a large manager successful the NBA, and I privation to triumph championships. And I privation my players to maximize their careers. That’s each I f---ing attraction about."

JJ Redick earlier Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals betwixt the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks astatine TD Garden June 9, 2024, successful Boston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Although Redick spent 15 seasons successful the NBA, Francis suggested Redick could conflict to get his connection crossed successful the Lakers' locker room. He besides predicted James would fundamentally disregard manager Redick.

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"The happening that’s going to hap is conscionable similar Darvin Ham was the coach. LeBron is not going to perceive to not 1 connection JJ is saying," added Francis. "Why would you perceive to him? I wouldn’t perceive to him if helium was coaching me. I’ll conscionable look astatine however overmuch I cook him and beryllium like, ‘What are you saying? You cognize what I do, truthful speech to idiosyncratic else.’

"So, it’s decidedly going to beryllium hard for him to get done and the camaraderie with the circus astir him and his son, it’s going to beryllium a batch of distraction for a rookie coach, and we’ll spot what happens."

The Lakers person 3 preseason games remaining earlier their regular play opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves Oct. 22.

Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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