LeBron James has earned his stripes in the NBA, probably more than any other player in recent league history.
As such, he’s going to get away with a lot of things that most players wouldn’t. From a friendly whistle to a newfound seemingly careless attitude, he’s been there and done that, and no one can take anything away from him at this point.
That’s why there were some valid concerns about whether JJ Redick -- who was his business partner in a podcast just months after being appointed as the Los Angeles Lakers’ coach -- would be able to control him.
Fast forward to today, and it’s become painfully evident that those who had doubts about that may have been right all along. The most worrisome part, however, is that Redick isn’t even afraid to admit it.
JJ Redick may not have LeBron James’ ear
Following the narrow road win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers’ coach compared James to an aging Greg Maddux, as he’s not always going to be at his best:
“I know LeBron, I know how much he puts into this. I think it’s just recognizing game-to-game what he has. He’s Greg Maddux at the end of his career. Every night he doesn’t have his best stuff, but he has enough to win, and I’m his catcher, so I’ve got to figure out how to call the pitch,” Redick said in his press conference.
Then, he admitted that James also ignored his indications from time to time to call his own plays:
“Sometimes he tells me to f-off, and he calls his own pitch, which is fine too,” he continued. “But to me, it really is [figuring out] what’s the best way to utilize him tonight based on the opponent, based on the coverage, and based on how he’s moving.”
Of course, this isn’t anything new. James has been admittedly doing that for most of his career, which is something you can afford to do when you’re one of the most cerebral and intelligent players to ever lace them up. That’s not a problem itself.
However, it becomes a problem whenever Redick has to call a timeout because James is too busy chopping it up with the other team’s bench, or when James admits that he doesn’t watch a lot of film because he’s interested in golfing.
It’s not that James shouldn’t get a pass or be given that type of freedom at this point in his career, but optics matter. Redick has enough on his plate as it is, and he can’t have one of his players undermine him.