Letters to Sports: Lakers signing JJ Redick shows how far they’ve fallen

The Lakers hiring JJ Redick as head coach validates the academic thinking that the only difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.

Ron Yukelson

Saint Louis Obispo

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Why would LeBron James agree to let JJ Redick take over the reins of the Lakers? A man with no bench or managerial experience in the NBA or college? Easy… he’s trainable.

Paul Feinsinger

Agoura Hills

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With the passing of Jerry West, should this question be asked? Does anyone believe that JJ Redick or anyone else with zero coaching experience would have been hired if he was still running the Lakers. Who is next? Doris Burke? Seventeen NBA championships can last a long time.

Tom Krug

Del Rey Beach

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Bill Plaschke got it right! The Lakers are foolish to hire a guy as head coach who has no coaching experience. Some of us would have used a stronger word than fool.

What Plaschke didn’t say is that the Lakers also hired a general manager, Rob Pelinka, whose only qualification was being Kobe Bryant’s agent. What do you expect from this guy?

Dr. Buss is rolling in his grave as his team of past glories goes down the drain.

Michele Patterson

Palos Verdes Properties

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It kills me to say I agree with Bill Plaschke on anything but this time it hits it out of the parkincluding his farewell shot at Bronny James.

If the Lakers wanted to have a spokesperson for the over-the-hill LeBron, why not make him a player-coach? This whole sickening process just shows how far the once great franchise has fallen. As Plaschke so accurately points out, how is it possible that they couldn’t hire a first-class coach? The answer is simple, just like Hurley, no one with a brain wanted this job, never mind the money.

Go to the Lakers, make it official and get Bronny and prove that you have truly reached the bottom!

Jay Slater

Los Angeles

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People are very quick to consider that JJ Redick can’t be successful because he has never coached before.

How many corporate CEOs actually know how to make the gadgets their companies sell; or the complexities of transportation? It’s not like JJ isn’t basketball savvy.

Henry Ford attributed his success largely to his willingness to surround himself with “eagles.” I say give JJ a chance to build her nest and then we’ll see how they fly.

David Griffin

Westwood

Title talk

So Magic Johnson says he hates that the Celtics now there are more championships than the Lakers? I don’t know why, as he set Boston up for the next decade by selecting Lonzo Ball over Jayson Tatum in the 2017 NBA Draft because he needed a point guard to “run the show.” Never mind that Lonzo couldn’t shoot and didn’t seem to care one bit when Magic called him “franchise guy” during his first visit to the Lakers’ training facility. But this is another thing, perhaps the most egregious, that the Magic did while running the Lakers show that hurt the team more than it helped. And don’t get me started on the cowardly way he gave up!

Danny Balber Jr.

Pasadena

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Now that the Celtics have won the title, the Lakers can boast that they defeated the defending champions in Boston on February 1st (despite playing without LeBron and Anthony Davis), in addition to promoting the season’s tournament championship.

Ken Feldman

Tarzana

That’s rich

Rich Paul, agent for LeBron and Bronny James, is quoted as saying: “There is no agreement that guarantees that if the Lakers draft Bronny at age 55, [LeBron] will sign again. If that were the case, I would force them to take him at 17.”

Well, that makes it official: Rich Paul is the de facto GM of the Lakers.

Rhys Thomas

valley of the valley

Open and close case

Shouldn’t your golf title be “DeChambeau Wins Open Title”? And without the subtitle “inspired by [Payne] Stewart,” but “got two terribly short shots missed by Rory McIlroy at the end.” Poor Rory, it hurts enough for all of us when we miss a $2 shot.

Joel Athel

Vale Village

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Pundits and fans will say “Rory choked at the US Open,” but that is literally false. He was 46-for-48 from 3 feet on the weekend. He had three birdies on the back nine in the final round (and a fantastic par save on the 17th hole). Missing two putts down the stretch magnifies your impact, but shooting a 69 is hardly a choke.

Brad Kearns

Stateline, Nevada.

Deal with it

So Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford apparently wants a new deal or at least renegotiate his current contract, as he no longer has any guaranteed money, although he is under contract for two more years at tens of millions of dollars per year, and the QB salary market continues to rise. How about this, Matt, honor your contract! How many Rams fans can go to their supervisor and get a raise or the assurance that they will be paid their full salary even if they don’t work (“play”).

No more spoiled, self-centered athletes. The Lakers have enough for LA, the Rams don’t need more.

Matt Clarke

Hawthorne

Say, hey, it’s not like that

Willie Mays played for the hated San Francisco Giants and I was a huge Dodgers fan – still he was my favorite player.

Enough said.

Steve Kaye

Oro Valley, Arizona.

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I am 71 years old. I’ve always been a fan of the Dodgers. I always hated the Giants. But I always loved Willie Mays.

I just wish Vin Scully was still around to deliver a compliment we’d never forget.

Eric Monson

Temecula

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