Part of becoming a successful coach and leader in sports is working on oneself. Coaches must not only continue to learn the tactical side of their sport, but they must also learn how to better lead their players and fine-tune their mindset, philosophies and attitude.
While many feel JJ Redick did a solid job last season in his first go-around as the Los Angeles Lakers’ coach, others still have doubts about him. Some think he’s too stubborn and that he has the attitude and outsized swagger of a man who thinks he’s the smartest man in the room.
But Redick said that he did some self-reflection during the offseason, especially after he had a meltdown after one game last season.
“I spent a lot of time after the season with my performance coach and did a lot of journaling, self-reflection, all that stuff. Worked through some things. I think the biggest thing for me is just having the ability to properly turn it on and off and also recognizing… not everybody is wired like Kobe [Bryant]. … You got to kind of meet guys where they are.”
Redick has a reputation for being very intense and tightly wound, and it looks like he’s trying to balance that type of natural temperament with being a little more flexible and sympathetic in order to better reach his players.
He’s still relatively new to coaching — he had no coaching experience of any kind at the pro, college or high school levels when the Lakers hired him in June 2024. But it is a good sign that he publicly admits he can get better and that he has been taking steps to do just that.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick on the self-reflection he did this offseason
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
