JJ Redick takes shot at LeBron James, promises starters will not be all 'white guys' in odd presser

You can put a podcaster in the head coach's chair, but you still end up with a podcaster. Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick proved as much during his annual news conference Thursday, giving answers better suited for the Twitter timeline than a head coach's seat. First, Redick offered a shady response about the team gelling after superstar LeBron James departed. LEBRON JAMES TELLS LOS ANGELES LAKERS HE WILL LEAVE IN FREE AGENCY AFTER EIGHT SEASONS: REPORT He pointedly noted that this roster has a clearer identity than past squads led by James, his former podcast co-host. "I think we’ve always tried to give our players clearly defined roles, and I think with this group, [it’s] probably the first time in my three years here that I feel like the pieces actually fit together," Redick said. "And so those roles probably get even more crystallized." Since LeBron’s departure, a running joke has taken over Lakers fandom. "Snowtime" has trended across social media as the tongue-in-cheek nickname for the Lakers' projected core of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler — with nods to depth pieces like Dalton Knecht and Maxi Kleber. STEPHEN A SMITH SHOWS HIS PRIVILEGE BY MOCKING LAKERS' ROSTER FOR HAVING TOO MANY 'WHITE DUDES' Because the team's projected top talent isn't Black, the online gag caught fire, and Redick awkwardly addressed it with a questionable remark about his starting unit. Without much context, Redick said he was confident two positions in his lineup would "not be white." "I'm pretty confident in three of the spots," Redick said. "The other two spots will not be two white guys." It was a sarcastic wink to the online crowd, and a cheap internet laugh at best. THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW! Redick now enters his third season at the helm in Los Angeles. His squad was swept in the Western Conference Semifinals by OKC last spring, following a first-round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves in his inaugural season. Before taking the bench, Redick spent 15 years as an NBA sharpshooter. In 2024, he teamed up with LeBron James to co-host "Mind the Game," a wine-drinking, X's-and-O's basketball podcast. PHILADELPHIA ATHLETES, INCLUDING NEW TEAMMATES, REACT TO LEBRON JAMES JOINING 76ERS: 'WELCOME TO THE CITY' By July 2026, after two seasons together in LA, the dynamic completely shifted when LeBron packed his bags for Philly, leaving Redick to run the show solo. Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela