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Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, left, defends Pelicans guard JJ Redick during a game on Feb. 12, 2021, in Dallas. Now the two are player and coach with the Lakers. (Glenn James / NBAE via Getty Images)
You don’t have to wonder what Lakers coach JJ Redick actually thinks of Luka Doncic. When you hire a head coach who used to host a podcast, and when that podcast hosted Doncic on multiple occasions, the answers are already in front of you.
Redick’s relationship with Doncic, like the one he forged with Dorian Finney-Smith, began in the final months of his NBA career when New Orleans traded him to the Mavericks. Immediately, it was clear that the two formed a bond.
On a podcast with Andre Iguodala, Redick praised Doncic for being low maintenance in the locker room the same way Stephen Curry is for the Golden State Warriors.
“The only guy that I really played with that’s on that level of just being one of the guys and doesn’t really ask for special treatment was Luka this season,” Redick said on the podcast. “Luka’s special. He’s one of the guys. Obviously basketball-wise, he’s super special. But as a dude, he’s great.”
In the shadows, people around the NBA are still shocked by the trade that gifted the Lakers their next superstar.
“The Mavericks can win the title this year, and they still got murdered on this trade,” one NBA agent told The Times.
Mavericks teammates JJ Redick, left, and Luka Doncic, right, slap hands during a game on April 21, 2021, in Dallas. (Glenn James / NBAE via Getty Images)
And if you dig into the Redick podcast archives, it’s clear that the Lakers coach thinks incredibly highly of his new star.
In a 2022 appearance on his show, Redick described Doncic as a person with innocence, sarcasm, humility and honesty before telling Doncic he didn’t get the chance to play with him while he was still in his physical prime.
During the show, Doncic talked about how he was surprised at the ease at which he became a dominant scorer in the NBA, that he thought his best skill was actually passing. He also talked about the amount of freedom he’s had from coaches in the past, and that…
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Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2025-02-04 00:29:00
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