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[Saba Sports News] Kobe Bryant would likely approve of JJ Redick’s mindset as he reflected on his first year at the helm of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Following the Lakers’ 140-109 blowout win over the Houston Rockets on Friday at Crypto.com Arena, Redick notched his 50th win as an NBA head coach and clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. The team celebrated with an ice-water locker room shower, leaving Redick drenched as he addressed reporters postgame.
But when asked to reflect on his debut season, Redick wasn’t focused on the milestone. Instead, he channeled Kobe Bryant’s iconic mindset.
“It’s not done,” Redick said. “I spent maybe three and a half minutes thinking about the playoffs and coaching on the flight back from Dallas. Regular season wins and getting to the playoffs are one thing, but what really matters is how you handle the pressure, the in-game decisions, the adjustments. There’s still a lot of work left.”
Redick’s words echoed Bryant’s memorable “job’s not finished” quote from the 2009 NBA Finals when the Lakers were up 2-0.
This season marked the Lakers’ first 50-win campaign since their 2020 championship run. They hadn’t finished higher than seventh in the West during that stretch. While some may credit Redick’s success to the midseason addition of Luka Doncic, it’s worth noting that the Lakers were already thriving at 31-19 before Doncic suited up.
With no prior coaching experience beyond his son’s youth team, Redick has quickly transitioned from broadcasting to the bench — and now has his sights set on a championship.