James Borrego shares ‘surreal dream’ before Lakers sign JJ Redick

On Sunday night, Los Angeles Lakers faced with low New Orleans Pelicans a team that simply might be looking for a way to speed up time. This season has been painful for a team that currently sits at 3-17 and not even a head coaching change, with James Borrego steps into interim duties after firing Willie Green.

Borrego has his work cut out for him, and in an even more painful reminder of his current predicament, he faces the Lakers — a franchise with a head coaching vacancy in 2024 that he interviewed for but later decided to hire head coach JJ Redick for the first timea decision that looks to be paying off for the Purple and Gold.

Still, Borrego, who grew up a Lakers fan, shared that how great it was to be in the race for the position of head coach of the team.

“There was a lot going on that summer, there were a lot of interviews that summer, I mean. I grew up a Lakers fan, number one, so to come here and interview for the job was so surreal and like a dream,” Borrego said in his pregame press conference, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“I grew up a No. 1 Lakers fan, so to come here and interview for the job was so surreal and like a dream.” Pelicans interim coach James Borrego is considering being a finalist for the Lakers’ 2024 head coaching vacancy. pic.tvitter.com/KF7SvKSVfct

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 1, 2025

Borrego was previously the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets and before that was the interim coach of the Orlando Magic. He spent most of his coaching career as an assistant, spending two seasons with the then-New Orleans Hornets before embarking on a four-year stint with the Magic.

He then moved on to Gregg Popovich’s bench in San Antonio before becoming the full-time coach in Charlotte from 2018 to 2022. After he was fired, the Pelicans brought him back to be an assistant coach.

The Lakers pummeled the hapless Pelicans

The Pelicans don’t have their unprotected 2026 first-round pick thanks to Derrick Quinn. And yet, here they are, languishing as the worst team in the West and second worst overall (only the Washington Wizards were worse). They had no chance against the Lakers on Sunday, as they were on the verge of a 133-121 loss.

Borrego has what it takes to improve, and he may not be brought back as the Pelicans’ full-time head coach if they continue like this. But to be fair to Borrego, he didn’t get a fair shake. The roster has been ravaged by injuries, with Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray missing the loss to the Lakers.