EL SEGUNDO — For the first time since May 1, the day after the Lakers’ 2024-25 season ended, JJ Redick was part of the team’s media availability.
And with Redick sitting not too far away from him, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka shared news about the franchise’s head coach, revealing on Thursday afternoon that the organization and Redick recently extended his contract.
“Just to make it clear,” Pelinka said, “that he’s the basketball leader in terms of our coaching and on-court performance.”
Redick is coming off his rookie coaching season with the Lakers, leading the team to a 50-32 regular-season record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference before a disappointing five-game, first-round playoff exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He signed a four-year, $32 million contract to become the Lakers’ head coach in June 2024.
The terms and timing of Redick’s contract extension weren’t immediately known, but served as a vote of confidence in Redick from the Lakers’ ownership and front office after just one season at the helm.
Pelinka was promoted from vice president of basketball operations to his current role and had his contract extended in mid-April before the playoffs started.
“With Rob, we have a lot of the same philosophies on life; one of the words we always talk about is gratitude,” Redick said. “So I think it just starts with a high level of gratitude to the Lakers, to Mark [Walter], Jeanie [Buss] and Rob to have that confidence in me and it’s not lost on me this sort of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension. I recognize how fortunate I am to be in an organization that supports me in that way.”
It’s rare for head coaches to receive contract extensions after their first year with a franchise – let alone a first-time coach.
But Pelinka said the timing of the extension came down to “confidence and belief” in Redick ahead of his second season leading the Lakers.
“We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us define the culture of Lakers excellence,” Pelinka added. “We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what we’re going to lean into and what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity. Having long-term planning is helpful as we build this team and go forward.”
Not long after the Lakers’ 2024-25 season ended on April 30, Redick mentioned he would use the summer to evaluate himself as a coach, saying, “I know I can be better. And I know I will get better.”
And Thursday offered Redick a chance to share his evaluations on a public platform for the first time.
“You do a lot of self-assessment, and that was really what I spent a lot of the first probably 4-6 weeks on, sort of self-assessment,” Redick said when asked if there was anything that stood out about his reflections. “But I would say the two words that immediately when you ask that question popped in my mind are philosophy and methodology: the philosophy of how we want to play; the methodology as a coach of how I want to teach that. And so that’s where I spent a lot of time this summer.”
Redick mentioned he met with Rams coach Sean McVay in May, a few weeks after the Lakers’ season ended, in addition to legendary retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady and other NBA coaches throughout the offseason.
The topic of what it takes to achieve success at a high level – a constant goal for the championship-driven Lakers – came up often.
“It’s actually very simple, just a daily commitment,” Redick said. “My team, they already know this because that’s all I’ve talked about all summer, but we’re going to ask guys to be in championship shape, have championship communication and championship habits. And that’s a daily commitment to that.
“Our guys this summer have been awesome. I know LeBron [James] is always committed to those things. Luka [Doncic] has been committed. That’s what it is. It’s a daily commitment. [Nick] Saban has this thing, it’s, ‘don’t tell me, show me.’ So that’s what we’re asking of our players.”