JJ Redick proved many doubters wrong when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103 on opening night.
Many questioned Redick’s ability to coach in the NBA, much less the Lakers since the former Duke star had no previous coaching experience at any level. But as he showed last Tuesday, JJ not only had the Purple & Gold running creative sets on the court, but he was always on top of the situation during timeouts.
JJ’s impressive coaching debut drew praise from many personalities, including Detroit Pistons legend and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas .
“I look at it, and I hear Coach K, and I hear the other Coach K- Coach Knight,” said Thomas on NBA TV. “I was in the locker room with Coach K and Coach Knight in the ’79 Pan-Am Games and the teaching that he and Coach Knight have, that’s what I hear in JJ.”
Cut from the same cloth
Bob Knight was Thomas’ college coach at Indiana and he also happened to be the head coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 1979 Pan-American games. Meanwhile, Mike Krzyzewski was Knight’s assistant on that gold medal-winning squad, and Isiah was the star player on that gold medal-winning crew.