When JJ Redick first became the coach, questions were raised about his lack of coaching experience. One such critic was former Lakers player and coach, Byron Scott. Since that hire, and until now, the purple and gold legend hasn’t changed his stance yet. “I wouldn’t say he’s doing a great job, but is he doing a good job? Yes.” So, it seems the current Lakers HC will have to lot more to earn the respect. But earning respect ain’t the hard part for the current Spurs coach.
“San Antonio was such a great team. So we knew, you know, there was four for two in that series. And Pop, who I got so much respect for as a coach, you know, just unbelievable coach.” On All the Smoke podcast, Byron Scott gave flowers to Gregg Popovich for his coaching ability over the years. This conversation occurred because the Lakers legend discussed the 2003 finals loss when he was the HC of the New Jersey Nets.
“He is one of those coaches that still to this day is still old school in his mentality as far as discipline, doing shit the right way. And if you don’t, you sit down,” said Scott. Even co-host of the podcast, Stephen Jackson chimed in with his thoughts. “That’s what I tell him, I say Pop is more of a coach he’s more like a leader. Because he leads the whole organization until even if the team is not good enough, you coming into that season believing you winning the championship.”
Jackson was part of the Spurs setup for 2 years and also won the championship against the Nets in 2003. “That’s just a feel around the whole organization. He (Popovich) started that,” Former champion Jackson stated on the podcast. Currently, Coach Pop is on the sidelines, after suffering a mild stroke in early November. In his 28th full season as San Antonio’s head coach, he also had the record of being the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA and also having the most wins in the league’s history.
Oct 30, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich watches his team play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
It’s not only because of the winning culture, that Byron Scott respects the Spurs HC. But he was also the first one to call up the Lakers legend when he was removed from his job at the New Orleans Hornets back in 2009. The company of the 3x NBA Champion is also “fun“, and Coach Pop also addressed Scott as one of the “good people.”
So, Coach Pop clearly has the respect of former players and coaches. But that’s not entirely the case with JJ Redick, with his current record of 28-19 which puts them in a 5th position in the Western Conference. However, the job is far from done.
Byron Scott and his issue with JJ Redick
The 2008 NBA Coach of the Year has been in Redick’s shoes, coaching the Lakers. He till now has worked in five different cities in the league and has managed 1,101 games. Not to forget, 164 games or two full seasons as the Purple and Gold head coach. So him being critical of the current coach is not because of a grudge.
“What I’m saying about JJ is that ‘Listen, you don’t have coaching experience whatsoever. You are sitting in the hottest seat in the NBA. So this ain’t going to be a bed of roses. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be hard, and he’s going to learn on the way.” Recently Byron Scott about the current situation with the Lakers. The franchise even removed former coaches, like Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham, who led them to the championship and Cup Championship, respectively.
Maybe after the season’s end, Redick might see a change of heart from Byron Scott. However, that task seemed to have gotten difficult after the blockbuster trade of Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic. Previously, coach Redick wanted to build the attack around AD, so let’s see how quickly is able to draw new plays unlocking the 25-year-old superstar.
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