On June 25, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that Redick, a former NBA shooting guard, would be the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He replaced Darvin Ham, who led the team the past two seasons. He’s only voluntarily assisted his sons’ youth teams as a coach, so he doesn’t have high-level experience coaching. Throughout his 15-year run as a professional baller, he played on six teams: Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks. After he retired in 2021, Redick pivoted to a career in media as a commentator, according to The Washington Post.

Although this will be a new undertaking, he’s dedicated to doing his absolute best in his new role.

“This process has been surreal, to say the least,” Redick told The Washington Post. “I take this responsibility very seriously.. … The Lakers have some of the most passionate fans around the world, and the expectation is a championship, and so it’s my job to deliver a championship-caliber team. That’s what I signed up for.”

In his determination to bring LA its 18th championship win, he paused all possible distractions. One is his fairly new Mind the Game podcast with NBA star Lebron James.

“For the time being — and hopefully it’s a very, very long time — I am excommunicated from the content space,” Redick shared. “There will be no podcasts. We’ll do something when I have a breather from what I have coming up. I’m gonna be drinking from a firehose for the next month.”

James will decide if he wants to stay with his current team or become a free agent this week, Redick hopes he’ll remain a Laker as he already has plans for how he’d like to utilize him per The Washington Post.

Shortly after the announcement was made, Redick came under fire for an alleged situation that happened decades ago on Duke University’s campus. Duke University alumna Hallemah Nash, known on X as @halleemah, made a shocking claim.

“I’ve only been called the N word to my face by a white man once in my life and it was on the campus of Duke University while I was doing work with the basketball team,” she tweeted. “And today he was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.”

I’ve only been called the N word to my face by a white man once in my life and it was on the campus of Duke University while I was doing work with the basketball team. And today he was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.

— Halleemah Nash (@halleemah) June 25, 2024

When another X user asked for the “full story,” Nash gave more insight and explained that he may no longer have the same racist sentiments because people evolve.

“For context, this was years ago and Im a believer that we all have space to grow- especially from our college level maturity,” she responded. “We live in a world where these exchanges happen and the intersection of race and privilege and lack of accountability all collided w/that presser.”

For context, this was years ago and Im a believer that we all have space to grow- especially from our college level maturity. We live in a world where these exchanges happen and the intersection of race and privilege and lack of accountability all collided w/that presser.

— Halleemah Nash (@halleemah) June 25, 2024

The tweet quickly went viral. Redick became aware of the statement and spoke out to deny Nash’s claims.

“No, it never happened,” a spokesperson for the Lakers told TMZ Sports when they reached out for a statement.

Prior to the allegations, Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka expressed his excitement about onboarding Redick into the NBA.

“JJ is a fierce competitor and has an extraordinary basketball IQ and understanding of the modern game that will energize players and excite fans. His rigorous analysis will immediately unlock new opportunities for our roster while setting a foundation for player development over the long term,” Pelinka said in a statement.

He added, “He brings an intense dedication to innovation, advancing the game and staying at the forefront of an ever-evolving league. Beyond his basketball acumen, JJ has a care for people and genuine empathy that are critical for connecting with players today. This is an exciting time for Lakers basketball.”

Back in 2018, Redick reportedly used a racial slur while wishing the Chinese community a happy new year, according to ESPN. While apologizing, he said the slur was “not in my vocabulary.”