The LA Lakers fired their head coach, Darvin Ham, after just two seasons in Southern California. Despite having an impressive 90-74 record, two play-in tournament wins, and guiding the team to the inaugural in-season tournament title in Las Vegas. This decision came after the Lakers were eliminated by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in back-to-back seasons. This time, in just the first round, after being swept in the conference finals. The future of the franchise looked uncertain, and they needed a head coach who could maximize the twilight of LeBron James’s storied career. So, the hunt began for the right person.

While everyone was thinking that the Los Angeles team’s governor, Jeanie Buss, and the team’s front office would hire a seasoned coach who knows how to win, they did something no one expected. Jeanie Buss and Co. selected a 40-year-old former Laker, JJ Redick, as their next head coach. Obviously, this decision raised several eyebrows, as Redick’s only experience in coaching was being a volunteer coach for his son’s fourth-grade team. While the rookie head coach has done a fantastic job at the helm in his first season, even Jeanie Buss attested to the fact that she wasn’t quite sure of making him the team’s head coach after Darvin Ham’s exit. She wanted someone for the long run and someone who saw the process the same as LA’s GM, Rob Pelinka.

“When the decision was made to part ways with Darwin Ham, you know. I said to Rob (Pelinka), I want you to go and find a coach that really kind of meets how you look at the process and, and really compliments your style and, um, you know, and, and think differently.” Buss stated in a recent interview with SiriusXM. Keeping Jeanie Buss’ requirements in mind, Pelinka started the hunt for a new head coach. Soon, he presented the most suitable candidate for the job, JJ Redick. He was the one whose ideas resonated with Pelinka’s. While Buss had full confidence in Pelinka’s abilities and had given him full freedom, she still had second thoughts about appointing a first-year head coach.

“What I did was talk to people about, you know, just the things that I was concerned about, meaning a first-year coach. You know, I don’t want to keep having to change coaches if things don’t work out. You know, want somebody for the long run, somebody that has a vision of the kind of team that he wants to run. And, you know, I just kept getting such good feedback about JJ (Redick). And so I was eager to meet him in person. I’d never met him. And, you know, but really my confidence was in Rob Pelinka and him and believing and knowing that he, um, could lead this team.” Buss stated.

Upon first hearing about JJ Redick, Buss had a few concerns. However, as soon as she started inquiring about the 40-year-old, Buss only got positive feedback from everyone. So, she decided to trust her instincts and Pelinka’s assessment, which has worked out quite well for the Lakers. For the first time since their 2020 championship under Frank Vogel, this season’s team looks like a real contender for the championship. Speaking of which, Jeanie Buss also revealed her plans to honor the 2020 championship-winning team.

Jeanie Buss makes a bold promise to LA’s 2019-20 championship-winning roster

When LeBron James arrived in Los Angeles ahead of the 2018-19 season, the expectations went off the roof. However, it didn’t translate into much, as the Los Angeles Lakers were in a downward spiral and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. The team was a mere shadow of its illustrious history, and the immediate future didn’t look much brighter, either. It wasn’t until they put in all of their chips to bring Anthony Davis to South California and made a few more signings. The result? Well, this gamble paid off big time as the Lakers claimed their 18th title, making them the most successful franchise in the league’s history. While this called for a big celebration, unfortunately, the infamous 2020 NBA Champions couldn’t get their flowers.

As we all know, that championship was won at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic inside the bubble, rendering a lot of people unable to give the Lakers team proper credit for their incredible achievement. In fact, LeBron James and Co. did not even get the usual parade that comes along with winning a Larry O’Brien Trophy. While team governor Jeanie Buss has mentioned giving them the honors on several occasions, nothing has been done in that direction. However, with a solid team under the guidance of JJ Redick, optimism is higher than ever. So, if the Lakers go all the way this season, Jeanie Buss plans to give the 20 players and the staff of the 2020 championship-winning team a well-deserved celebration. “Certainly, if we ever have, if we’re ever so fortunate as to win another championship, I would try to do something to honor that 2020 team,” Jeanie Buss said.

“We didn’t get an opportunity to do that because we were under orders in this county, especially no gathering. It’s like that would have been a super spreader event if we would have had a parade. So, but it doesn’t mean we didn’t want to celebrate. So someday down the line, there will be.” It’s a great initiative by the Lakers’ governor considering how the LA team got robbed of their chance to celebrate the title, which was the first for the franchise in a decade with its beloved fans. But that will depend upon this season’s team and their chances to go on to win it all. If they manage to do so, it will certainly be a never-before-seen celebration in Los Angeles.