Normally, when a rookie head coach wins his first NBA game, there’s plenty of cause for celebration.
(Winning in any sports league is notoriously difficult.)
For Los Angeles Lakers neophyte head coach J.J. Redick, his first NBA win as a head coach on Tuesday somehow ended with him vociferously complaining about the basketballs his team just had to use in its 110-103 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After that win (and, in fairness, sporting what looked like the afterglow of a celebratory Gatorade bath) Redick spoke to the media about a number of topics in the postgame presser, including his team’s performance shooting from a distance.
While lauding his team’s overall winning performance, Redick did note that his team struggled mightily from behind the three-point arc.
The Lakers shot an abysmal 5-for-30 (16.7 percent) from three in the season opener, and coach Redick thought he had a tactile solution to his team’s shooting woes:
Redick: “I’m gonna send in a request for the league tomorrow that we can play with worn-in basketballs.” pic.twitter.com/IQmPqMm3U0
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 23, 2024
“I’m going to send in a request for the league [on Wednesday, so] that we can play with worn-in basketballs,” Redick told the press.
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The former Duke University standout continued: “I’m not sure why we’re playing in real games — I’m being dead serious — I’m not sure why we’re playing in real games with brand-new basketballs.
“Anyone who’s ever touched an NBA ball, brand-new, [knows] it’s a different feel and touch than a worn-in basketball.”
Redick said he noticed how weird the ball felt when he grabbed a dead ball off of a rebound.
“I was like, ‘What? Why are we playing with this ball?’” Redick recounted. “Give the guys the opportunity to pick a good basketball.”
As uncomfortable laughter began to waft up from the reporters’ pool, Redick, again, made it clear that he was not kidding about this formal request to the league.
“You think I’m joking,” Redick told reporters. “I’m neurotic.”
While Redick may have found issue with his first win as an NBA head coach, the victory may be remembered for a totally different kind of NBA first.
Tuesday night’s game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles between the Wolves and Lakers featured the first-ever father-son duo taking an NBA court together as active players.
Controversial NBA superstar LeBron James and his son Bronny James briefly played together for the Lakers during the win, making history in the process:
LeBron James.
Bronny James.The first father-son duo to play together in the NBA! pic.twitter.com/naadFLoPmh
— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2024
LeBron finished the game with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Bronny finished the game by missing both of the shots he took and grabbing one offensive rebound.
The Lakers play again Friday, when the team stays in Los Angeles to host the Phoenix Suns.
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