As they opened the doors to their practice facility, the Los Angeles Lakers blended both old-school routines with new-school habits.
LeBron and Bronny James as well as Max Christie completed shooting drills with each other. Other players received treatment. During the post-practice activities, they all heard DJ Meel blare his playlist through the loudspeakers.
This captured the early glimpses of how Lakers first-year coach JJ Redick has managed his training camp. They featured players performing skill work as if they were at an afterhours club, an idea that a certain star player suggested.
“It came from LeBron,” Redick said. “He requested that there be a DJ before and after practice.”
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick appears at a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, on Sept. 25. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Redick and James formed a bond as podcast partners toward the end of the 2023-24 season. It only seemed fitting then that Redick accommodated James’ request for a live DJ to play both ’90s and modern-day hip hop during pre- and post-practice workouts. Redick then relayed to the group, “I like the vibe. Can he continue to be here?”
Following a prolific 15-year NBA career as a valued shooter and role player, Redick hardly envisioned that part of a head-coaching stint would entail hiring a live DJ and then figuring out how the franchise would pay for the added expense.
“We didn’t have this,” Redick said before pointing to the Lakers’ modern practice facility. “We didn’t have a water room, a treatment room like this. We used to have to go over to the RDV side of the sportsplex if we wanted a cold tub. And you’d be getting in there with 85-year-old men who were not wearing any clothes. And we were just trying to get some recovery in. It’s changed a lot.”
With his NBA career coinciding with the league’s growth in player empowerment, analytics and training staffs, however, Redick has embraced a concept that could define his success or failure as the Lakers’ head coach.
“You just got to adapt,” Redick said. “If the players are happy, I’m good.”
The players’ happiness in training camp might partly depend on how much they like a DJ’s playlist. As DJ Meel played Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis asked, in both an amused and annoyed tone, “What is this music?!”
LeBron James and son Bronny James attend Los Angeles Lakers media day at UCLA Health Training Center on Monday. Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images© Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
The players’ happiness during the regular season and playoffs, however, points toward something different. The Lakers’ players can just gaze at the trophy case that Lakers owner Jeanie Buss displays near her office windows that oversee the team’s practice court. As Davis said, “I’m about winning; winning championships.”
As the Lakers’ fourth head coach since James took his talents to LA in 2018, Redick’s success or failure could largely mirror the path that Luke Walton (2017-19), Frank Vogel (2019-22) and Darvin Ham (2022-24) traveled.
The Lakers won an NBA title (2020) and advanced to another Western Conference finals (2023) because they had a healthy James and Davis play with a reliable supporting cast. The Lakers also missed the playoffs (2018, 2022) and experienced first-round playoff exits (2021, 2023) because they nursed numerous injuries and lacked roster depth. Amid those erratic swings, the Lakers determined their previous head coaches still struggled with their rotations and in-game adjustments.
Will the Lakers grant more patience to Redick? The Lakers are not considered NBA title favorites mostly because Redick inherits a team full of question marks. How durable can a 39-year-old James stay in his 22nd season? After experiencing a first-round playoff exit, did the Lakers correctly value continuity over making a deal even at the expense of two first-round picks? As the Lakers’ No. 58 pick, will Bronny eventually develop into an NBA player?
At least for now, James has offered his former podcast partner some grace.
“I don’t have any expectations, and that’s unfair to put any expectations on us right now,” James said. “The only thing that we can count on each other is how we come to practice and come to work every day. And trust the process and get better every day.”
Nonetheless, the Lakers already trust they will get better every day partly because of Redick’s presence.
James described Redick’s first day of practice as “very detail-oriented.” Redick hosted what he called a “very productive” two-hour practice that featured detailing schemes and live scrimmaging. The Lakers held another two-hour practice on Wednesday, in which the coaching and training staffs evaluated the players’ various workloads in defensive-heavy drills. Redick even informed Bronny before Wednesday’s practice that he ran six miles during Tuesday’s session. After media day on Monday, Redick also hosted a team dinner in Beverly Hills for reasons beyond strengthening team bonding.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James appears at his team’s media day at the UCLA Health Training Center on Monday. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“One of the things that I’m big on is using time efficiently,” Redick said. “I haven’t been around LeBron a ton, but I know that’s big for him as well. I think as any NBA player will tell you, they really value their time. And I did not want to take time [in practice] to have some long meetings.”
Instead, Redick and his staff gave their presentation about the team’s identity, schemes and plays over dinner to ensure a shorter practice time reserved strictly for skill work and scrimmaging.
During drills, Redick also deferred to his coaching staff that includes two former NBA head coaches (Scott Brooks, Nate McMillan), an experienced NBA assistant (Bob Beyer), the Lakers’ first woman assistant coach (Lindsey Harding) and a respected player development coach (Greg St. Jean). Redick proudly called his success rate with drawing up plays before each of the three scrimmages as “pretty good: 66.7%.”
“I didn’t feel like I did too much,” Redick said. “From the beginning, with each coach, we have been very clear with roles and responsibilities. Part of me being a head coach is empowering my assistants. And so, I think I generally have a good feel for when to use my voice and when not to use my voice.”
Redick has six exhibition games, 82 regular-season games and perhaps some playoff games to show how he will use his voice. For now, Redick has outlined some concrete details on how he will manage his roster.
Redick will start James and Davis with D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, a lineup that went 23-10 last season once Ham finally used it in January. Redick plans to feature a nine-man rotation with reserve candidates possibly including a valued perimeter defender (Gabe Vincent), a valued frontcourt defender (Jarred Vanderbilt), a rising young role player (Christie), an athletic backup center (Jaxson Hayes), a second-year guard (Jalen Hood-Schifino) and a sharpshooting rookie (No. 17 overall pick Dalton Knecht).
Redick has essentially told his entire roster he wants them to shoot more 3s after ranking last season 28th out of 30 NBA teams in attempts per game (31.4). Redick envisioned James playing more off the ball. Redick wants to feature Davis as “a hub” to operate as a scorer and facilitator near the post. Redick told Russell he will evaluate him more on how much defensive effort he exerts than how many shots or stops he makes. Redick expressed optimism that Russell, Hachimura, Reaves and Christie will have breakout seasons. Redick has told Bronny that he “earned” his position and that he can develop into an all-around player.
“I just think the whole structure and foundation that these coaches have brought in for us and talking to everybody is a great start because I felt like a lot of times last year we won a lot of games off of talent,” Reaves said. “When you have talent around structure, then you have opportunities to do something really special. I don’t think it’s necessarily for me or not. I just think that everything they came in and talked about makes sense to me for our whole collective group.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves listens to a question during media day at the UCLA Health Training Center on Monday. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Still, Redick has left several items open-ended entering the Lakers’ preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Palm Springs, California, on Friday.
Redick hasn’t disclosed how he will manage James and Davis in training camp and the regular season after they helped Team USA win gold in the Paris Olympics. Redick hasn’t outlined when he will play LeBron and Bronny together. Redick hasn’t offered definitive timetables on when various role players will return from apparent mild injuries, including Vanderbilt (procedures on both feet), Christian Wood (left knee surgery), Jordan Goodwin (hamstring) and Christian Koloko (sore ankle).
Nonetheless, Redick described himself and his staff as “basketball sickos” that have the necessary expertise, drive and collaboration to help the Lakers improve from within. That may start with ensuring a positive practice setting with the correct drills and playlist. So far, Redick has cemented his star players’ approval.
“My voice is very commanding. But I’ll be an extension of the coaching staff on the floor,” James said. “But right now, we’re getting our system put in place. Not only JJ’s voice is being heard, but all the other coaches’ voices are being heard. We’re just all taking it in and dialing it in and trying to be better with it on the floor.”