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The Los Angeles Lakers entered their second season under head coach JJ Redick with hopes of improving on their early exit from last year’s playoffs.
With just over a third of the NBA season already completed, the Lakers have had their ups and downs this year. After getting off to a 15-4 start, the Lakers suffered from inconsistency. In Thursday’s prime-time game, the team failed to live up to Redick’s expectations.
The Houston Rockets dominated the Lakers en route to a 119-96 victory on Christmas Day. Redick chimed in after Los Angeles lost a third straight game, questioning his team’s effort and professionalism.
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Former Bearcat and NBA player Kenyon Martin waves to the crowd during a stoppage of play between the Xavier Musketeers and the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 14, 2024. (Aaron Doster/Imagn Images)
“We don’t care enough about it right now,” Redick said. “And that’s what bothers you the most. We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be professionals.” The assessment drew a strong reaction from former NBA player Kenyon Martin.
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“So he said what are the words of the day? Is this the fucking kindergarten class where you put the words of the day on the fucking board? What are we talking about here?” asked Martin on a recent episode of “Gil’s Arena.”
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick calls a play during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena on December 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
“‘The words of the day are effort and execution.’ I saw this when I was dropping my son off at preschool two years ago. There was a note of the day on the door as you enter. You must say the word of the day to the teacher before entering the class. Is this what we do here? We are professional athletes who make 30, 40, 50 million dollars a year. That’s what we do here. »
Martin then theorized about how the Lakers locker room views Redick.
“JJ, I don’t know if you know that or not, bro. These guys don’t respect you. You’re their peer. Just because you have the title of head coach, they don’t look at you as one.” Redick last appeared in an NBA game in 2021 with the Dallas Mavericks.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts to his team’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the fourth quarter in Game 4 of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Matt Blewett/Imagn Images)
From Martin’s perspective, LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is seen more as a leader than the team’s head coach.
“And the main company is the person you just got the podcast with. That helped you get the job, man. Let’s call a spade a spade,” he said. “Once you address the crying, every possession the rest with Luka, Austin Reeves and LeBron once. If you talked about it once, if they respect you, they’ll do everything they can to try to change it because you’re a new voice in there. And you put in some effort when you played, JJ Redick. You did. You played hard every time you stepped on the floor. People respected that about you.”
Redick also vowed to make Saturday’s practice ahead of Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings “uncomfortable” for the Lakers.
