In an unconventional move, the Los Angeles Lakers have appointed former player and media personality JJ Redick as their new head coach. Despite lacking any prior coaching experience, Redick now faces the daunting challenge of returning the Lakers to championship contention, all while navigating the pressures of his new role without making significant roster changes.

Redick’s Decision to Step Away from Social Media

As part of his commitment to the team, Redick has declared that he will refrain from using social media during the season. Speaking to Dan Woike of the L.A. Times, he stated, “You will not see me tweet or post anything on IG.” He recognizes that social media can be beneficial, but feels the demands of his position necessitate a different focus.

“I think there are many benefits for social media and Twitter,” he explained. “The bandwidth that I have where I have to be… you have to understand this too, and I’ve talked with a number of my close friends who are head coaches. My bandwidth when you have the kids, there has to be an intentionality about your time when you’re at home and my time at the office. We talked as a staff this weekend about efficiency. Everything I do has to be efficient. Spending time on Twitter is not an efficient use of my time as a head coach.”

Maintaining a Clear Mindset

While he won’t be engaging with social media, Redick is aware that he will face scrutiny for his coaching decisions. He emphasized the importance of self-motivation and maintaining a clear head in this role. “One of the things that’s required is self-motivation, as well as the ability to motivate other people,” he noted. “Another thing that’s required is having a clear head. So for me, I don’t need external motivation. I let go of that at some point at Duke.”

Redick stressed that the coaching staff should be self-reflective and focused on improvement, rather than getting distracted by outside opinions. “The clear-minded thing is super important because it’s ultimately the people in the coaches’ room with me as we self-audit and project and look forward and look behind,” he stated. “It has to come from within that room.”

A Positive Start for Redick

Redick’s decision to distance himself from social media is seen as a strategic move to ensure he remains focused on his coaching duties. “There are going to be memes and GIFs [of me] for sure,” he acknowledged with a laugh, hinting at the inevitable online scrutiny he will face.

This proactive approach is indicative of Redick’s mindset since taking on the Lakers’ head coaching position. While the true test of his coaching abilities remains to be seen, his leadership style and commitment to the role suggest that the Lakers may have made a strong choice in hiring him.

Not Just About LeBron

In light of Redick’s close relationship with Lakers star LeBron James, general manager Rob Pelinka clarified that the hiring decision was not solely about managing James’ final years. Instead, Pelinka emphasized a vision for long-term, sustainable success with Redick at the helm. As the Lakers look ahead to the season, all eyes will be on how Redick’s leadership influences the team dynamics and performance on the court.