JJ Redick quickly leaves uncomfortable Lakers press conference after a tough defeat

JJ Redick Makes Quick Exit After Lakers’ Loss

JJ Redick doesn’t leave room for speculation about his feelings.

The head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers walked out of his press conference following a disappointing 122-102 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

His brief interaction with the media lasted just a minute and a half. Redick, now in his second year as captain, kept a straight face and offered only a succinct, one-sentence reply.

“I don’t really like it tonight,” he remarked.

The Lakers were soundly beaten by Atlanta’s second-string lineup, as the Hawks were missing their top four scorers—Trae Young, Jaylen Johnson, Kristaps Porzingis, and Nickell-Alexander Walker.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles also had key players absent, notably LeBron James and Austin Reeves. It’s interesting, though, how a team led by Luka Doncic managed to take down a solid San Antonio Spurs squad just three days prior. After several days off, the Lakers returned to play but didn’t seem to have any fire in their game against the Hawks, who looked far more prepared.

Redick did acknowledge the Hawks for their impressive effort, calling it “the level of effort, urgency, and physicality that was needed,” a not-so-subtle dig at his own team, which failed to match that intensity.

It wasn’t surprising to him that the Lakers struggled with 19 turnovers and fell behind by as many as 30 points late in the game. Within just two minutes of play, Redick could see the writing on the wall, realizing his team had already lost control. They never held a lead after that initial surge.

When asked about his impressions from the first two minutes, Redick simply replied, “nothing,” before he left the podium.

This isn’t the first instance of him storming out of a press conference, either. Previously, he made a quick exit in similar circumstances during last season’s playoffs when he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Before their setback in Atlanta, the Lakers had been on a five-game winning streak and were sitting fourth in the Western Conference with a 7-3 record.