(Video) Jarred Vanderbilt Confronting JJ Redick Twice During Lakers’ Blowout Loss to OKC Goes Viral

Conflict flared between JJ Redick and Jarred Vanderbilt during the Lakers' matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

(Video) Jarred Vanderbilt Confronting JJ Redick Twice During Lakers’ Blowout Loss to OKC Goes Viral

JJ Redick and Jarred Vanderbilt (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Tensions rose between Lakers head coach JJ Redick and player Jarred Vanderbilt during a blowout loss to the Thunder.
  • Vanderbilt was benched after missing three free throws, leading to a heated exchange with Redick.
  • The Lakers' loss marked their third consecutive defeat, dropping them to fourth in the Western Conference standings.

Things have not gone well in the Los Angeles Lakers camp as tensions flared between head coach JJ Redick and Jarred Vanderbilt. With the Lakers severely shorthanded, they were blown away 123-87 by the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.

The Lakers were chasing the game since tip-off. After trailing by seven points at the end of the first quarter, Redick called for a timeout just 16 seconds into the second quarter. He decided not to reinsert Vanderbilt into the game after missing three free throws during the first quarter.

While sitting during the timeout, the player and coach shared some words to one another. The heated exchange led to the coaching staff and players to intervene and ease the tensions.

Jarred Vanderbilt did not see any more minutes for the rest of the game as they ended up being down by as many as 18 points at halftime. After suffering their worst loss of the 2025-26 campaign to the defending champions on April 2, the Lakers endured another wire-to-wire demolition on Tuesday.

This is not the first JJ Redick has been seen in an altercation with his player this season. Last month, he had a tense moment with his star player, Luka Doncic. After joining the elite company of Phil Jackson and Pat Riley for winning 50 games in two consecutive seasons, things have gone a bit south for Redick as they miss their key players.  

With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined for the next few weeks, Redick and his coaching staff have their hands full till their returns. To make matters worse, they were without the services of LeBron James and Marcus Smart as well against the Thunder.

Fans react to heated exchange between JJ Redick and Jarred Vanderbilt

Jarred Vanderbilt has seen himself in and out of the lineup this season as he has struggled to cement his place in Redick’s plans. Against the Thunder, he came off the bench and ended his night with three points, two rebounds and one assist in under five minutes of action.

The clip of their altercation was quick to go viral and fans took to social media to react to the incident.

Many felt that the argument was being blown out of proportion, while some felt that Redick made the right decision after Vanderbilt missed three free throws.

JJ Redick reacts to intense exchange with Jarred Vanderbilt

The overwhelming loss against the Thunder may have left JJ Redick frustrated. It is a difficult period for the Lakers as they are now struggling down the stretch. After all, it was their third consecutive loss.

The loss on Tuesday dropped them to fourth in the Western Conference standings with a 50-29 record. They are one game behind the Denver Nuggets and tied on games with the Houston Rockets.

Jarred Vanderbilt
Jarred Vanderbilt (Image credits – Fadeaway World)

Following the loss, head coach Redick addressed the heated exchange he had with 8-year veteran Jarred Vanderbilt.

Nothing personal with him. Normal stuff from my end. I think for all of us, being undermanned … we’ve got to scrap and claw. We’ve got to all be on the same page. … I called a timeout to get him out of the game. And he reacted.

JJ Redick in his post-match press conference

With just three games to go for the regular season, the Lakers are at risk of dropping to fifth place. They are scheduled to take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on April 9. It remains to be seen if the team can bounce back and finish strong without their key players.

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