STEPHEN A. Smith is not giving his ESPN co-worker JJ Redick an endorsement for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job.
Redick has been the favorite for the job for months, but almost lost the job to Dan Hurley.
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After the Lakers’ push for the UConn men’s basketball coach was unsuccessful, an announcement regarding Redick’s hiring is expected to be made soon.
Stephen A. isn’t crossing his fingers.
The First Take star appeared on Get Up on Wednesday morning and discussed his thoughts on Redick’s fit with the Lakers.
“That’s what I’ll say about JJ Redick,” Stephen A. said.
“I think he has a brilliant basketball mind, we have crazy respect for him. We have love for him here on this network, I can guarantee that.
“But he’s an acquired taste. Got it? I love you JJ, but he’s an acquired taste.
“He’s my preference, not everyone’s preference. And JJ doesn’t suffer fools much.
“Well, some people would realize that there is a lot of foolishness from time to time in the Lakers organization.”
The Lakers have made some mistakes recently, but Stephen A. made a point of insisting that he wasn’t calling the Lakers idiots.
However, he wasn’t convinced that Redick would want to deal with some of the organization’s shenanigans.
“We’ve told Kurt Rambis in the past, you can’t be in the coaches’ rooms when you’re the head coach and you’re 100 games under .500. They don’t want to see you there,” said Stephen A. .
“And so, you have to take these things into consideration. Someone like JJ, dealing with the myriad of things that coaching the Lakers will throw at him?
“Wow. That’s a lot to ask of that brother to do.”
Stephen A. also suggested another candidate for the Lakers job during Wednesday’s episode of First Take.
The Detroit Pistons fired coach Monty Williams after one season, and Stephen A. thinks the Lakers should consider him.
Stephen A. Smith’s journey through the media
STEPHEN A. Smith is now the face of ESPN and executive producer of First Take, having initially started working for the company in 2003.
Smith has held numerous roles at the network, including radio show host, contributions to SportsCenter and appearance on NBA Countdown.
He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1994 to 2010.
He started as an NBA writer before becoming a general sports columnist.
Prior to that, Smith worked as a reporter at the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News and the New York Daily News.
“I know we’ve been talking a lot about JJ Redick, but Monty Williams is available,” Stephen A. said.
“This is a situation that the Los Angeles Lakers should analyze. I would definitely say that too.
“They should take a look at this… I think Monty Williams should definitely be a candidate for that position.”
Williams isn’t a bad coach, despite being fired from two positions in the last two years.
He probably never should have been fired by the Phoenix Suns after the 2022-23 season, and then was thrown into a fire with the Pistons last season.
Regardless of who the Lakers choose, a decision on their next coach is expected to be made soon.
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