Luka Doncic beat JJ Redick so much that he “went mad”

ByNBAUSA



The Los Angeles Lakers organized a pickleball tournament during a four-day break in their schedule. Players, coaches and staff competed in the competition at their El Segundo facility, with bracket-style matches that became surprisingly competitive for a team that builds strong chemistry at the beginning of this season.

Luka Dončić confronted the head coach JJ Redick in the semi-finals. Speaking to reporters after the Lakers’ victory over Utah, Doncic he did not hide his pleasure with the result.

“That was easy. He was so angry. I loved him, every second,” Doncic said.

The Slovenian star’s team eliminated Reddick’s team, which included Marcus Smart, before losing to Jake LaRavia and assistant coach Beau Levesque in the finals. But beating his own coach obviously meant more to Dončić than the overall victory.

He admitted that the semifinals felt good, and watching Redick get upset about the sour ball game made it even better. The 26-year-old laughed as he recounted the story to the media.

Redick fired back with their complaints about parentheses. He joked that his team’s draw was unfair and claimed he had to take his group to the semi-finals. The former Duke star even called out one teammate for focusing more on the snacks than the game.

The back and forth showed a different side of their relationship. Doncic gets bragging rights over his coach, while Redick proved that he is just as intense off the field as he was during his playing days.

When asked about the defeat in the final, Dončić had no problem throwing his own partner under the bus. He said his team-mate needs serious work on his game, calling him a player with all the power but no finesse or touch.

The tournament came at the right time for Los Angeles. At 12-4 with Doncic averaging a league-leading 34.6 points per game, the team finds its rhythm both on and off the field this season.





2025-11-24 14:47:00

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