JJ Redick sets record for comparisons to Pat Riley, impact

LOS ANGELES – When JJ Redick was first hired as head coach Los Angeles Lakers, he has drawn outward comparisons to the legendary Pat Riley. Redick’s path to coaching followed a similar story in that he went straight into broadcasting upon retirement and had no prior coaching experience prior to joining the Lakers staff in 1979.

Before the Lakers’ game against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, Pat Riley was honored outside the Cripto.com Arena with a statuethe latest in a long list of franchise legends which are immortalized outside the home arena of the Lakers.

During his pregame press conference, JJ Redick talked about the comparisons to the legendary Lakers coach, as well as the impact Riley has had on coaching as a whole.

“I didn’t think much about the comparisons at the time. I think Pat, for me, kind of set the standard for modern NBA coaches. I kind of always looked at the NBA through two very different eras,” Redick said. “You can make a point of demarcation either right at the merger, or in 80-81 right around the time Dallas joined as the 23rd team.”

“And that to me is kind of the beginning of the modern NBA. And that’s right when the Lakers started in ’80,” Redick continued. “Pat just set the standard for what a modern NBA coach should be.”

Redick is in the second year of the four-year deal he signed in the 2024 offseason as the Lakers’ head coach. In his first year, he led the Lakers to a 50-32 record and the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

In comparison, Riley led the Lakers to a 50-21 record after taking over as head coach during the 1981-82 season. Their overall record was 57-25. The Lakers would go on to win the title that year, starting a streak of eight consecutive NBA Finals appearances with a total of four championships.

Pat Riley’s thoughts on JJ Redick

Pat Riley’s final two seasons at the helm as head coach coincided with JJ Redick’s first two seasons of his NBA career. But he still had to worry about game planning for Redick when he returned to an executive role with the Miami Heat.

Although Riley has been with the Heat organization since 1995, he still follows his old team and believes they were able to succeed with the Redick signing.

“I love JJ, I really do. I’ve competed against him, my teams have competed against him. . . . he was a fiery guy. He could shoot the ball. He was tough as nails,” Riley said during a pregame media availability session. “Sometimes I look back and think of myself at that time. I looked at JJ and I think they picked the right person. There’s just that quality about him that I think goes above and beyond.”

While not quite the same roster Riley worked with when he first became the Lakers’ head coach, Redick had to integrate the talent of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Riley believes the Lakers have a good team and the organization has put Redick in a position to succeed.

“They have a hell of a team for him here with (Luka) Doncic and (Austin) Reaves and obviously LeBron,” Riley said. “I think Rob (Pelinka) . . . and the new ownership will build a team to compliment those players, but they have a great opportunity. I think JJ will be a good coach for them.”