The Big Lead

JJ Redick snapped back to reality after smiling continuously on Luka Doncic's debut (Video)

By Aikansh Chaudhary

Feb 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick watches game action against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Feb 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick watches game action against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
facebooktwitter

When the Los Angeles Lakers signed JJ Redick to replace Darvin Ham as the new head coach the team, the top brass' decision was met with mixed reviews.

While some were happy to see Ham go after losing trust in the locker room, others doubted whether a rookie head coach would be right for the Purple and Gold.

Well, Redick has allowed his work to speak for itself as he has transformed the LA Lakers into a genuine contender for the 2025 NBA Championship.

RELATED: Luka Doncic appreciates LeBron James' kind gesture before Lakers debut

The Lakers currently have a 32-19 record as they hold the fourth seed in the Western conference. The best part is that their newest acquisition Luka Doncic has played just one game for the team.

Speaking of Doncic, he made his season debut against the Utah Jazz and one moment featuring Redick's reaction to the former Dallas Mavericks star has gone viral.

As seen in the above-attached clip, Redick was smiling continuously before he mouthed "stop" to snap back to reality. In the video, Redick was looking at Doncic sitting on the bench.

To be honest, any coach would be joyous to know a player of Doncic's level has been given to him. On top of that, the Lakers already have arguably the greatest basketball player of all time in LeBron James on the roster.

Combine that with the recent success that the Lakers have experienced this season, can we really blame Redick for being unable to stop his smile?

Coach Redick is an utmost professional and it showed how he recollected himself to focus on the game. Redick and Co. are now gearing up for another matchup against the Jazz, where they will expect great things from the Slovenian star.

MORE TOP STORIES from The Big Lead
SOCCER: Watch Weston McKinnie’s spectacular goal
NFL: Kellen Moore is making a big mistake
NFL: Mock Draft 9.0: Is Travis Hunter going first?
NFL/SPORTS MEDIA: ESPN looking to do more with the NFL