JJ Redick is retiring from the mic.
As the new Lakers coach begins a new career in Los Angeles on a four-year contract, he is distancing himself from various podcasts, including one he recently started with LeBron James.
“For the time being, and hopefully for a very long time, I am being removed from the content industry,” he told reporters during his inaugural press conference on Monday. “I will not be doing podcasts.”
This means that James’ podcast, Mind the Game, will end after just nine episodes since its premiere on March 19th.
Same goes for “The Old Man and the Three,” Redick’s podcast with co-host Tommy Alter, which wrapped up on June 17 after 274 episodes with a preview of Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Mavericks.
For now, at least, the 39-year-old says the goodbye is not permanent.
“Once I get a break from what I’m going to be doing, I’ll do something. It’s going to be a ton of information over the next month,” he said. “At some point I’ll do something for everyone who’s been listening so far, and I’ll have some short videos, but for now the podcast is over.”
Redick joins the Lakers after a 15-season NBA career spanning six teams.
Since retiring in 2021, he has become a big presence in the basketball media world with his podcast projects and as an analyst for ESPN.
Los Angeles has acquired a coach who is well known in the media, even if his coaching resume leaves something to be desired by some.
“I’ve never coached in the NBA,” he said with a wry laugh, “I don’t know if you’ve heard of that.”
Redick, whose only coaching experience to date has been with his son’s youth teams, believes his podcast experience will be a big help in his success with the Lakers.
“I would like to claim I have the experience,” he said. “It started 22 years ago when I went to Duke and played four years under Coach K and spent 15 years as a player. Honestly, those three years have been invaluable in preparing me for this moment. Interacting with players, interacting with them on podcasts, participating in coaching interviews on ESPN, doing game play-by-play and analyzing games in three different formats, all of that has helped prepare me to be an NBA head coach.”
