“Is it the level of pettiness?” – Pat McAfee defends new Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick from ESPN critics

JJ Redick has spent the past few years working at ESPN, including as the No. 1 analyst on the network's NBA coverage.

“Is it the level of pettiness?” – Pat McAfee defends new Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick from ESPN critics

JJ Redick

JJ Redick is set to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, his first head coaching job and his reported hiring have been met with skepticism by some ESPN analysts. However, Pat McAfee, a popular ESPN personality, has come to Redick’s defense, criticizing his coworkers for their negative comments. 

McAfee questioned whether the criticisms stemmed from pettiness, suggesting that some analysts may be upset that they didn’t know about Redick’s potential hiring before it was reported.

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I don't appreciate or like how JJ Redick has been talked about by a lot of people who have been coworkers of JJ Redick… Is it because potentially they weren’t the ones that knew JJ Redick was maybe going to be the (the Lakers coach)? Is it the level of pettiness?
Pat McAfee said on The Pat McAfee Show

McAfee also pointed out the hypocrisy of some analysts who had JJ Redick on their shows but are now questioning his coaching abilities. He wondered if Redick’s potential success would be a testament to the ability of young coaches to take over the NBA. 

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Redick has spent the past few years working at ESPN, including as the No. 1 analyst on the network’s NBA coverage. The situation will be worth watching, both to see how Redick fares as the Lakers’ coach and how McAfee’s comments affect his relationship with ESPN. 

JJ Redick leaves behind lucrative media career to coach Lakers

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that new Lakers coach JJ Redick is leaving behind a lucrative media career, potentially earning more than Dan Hurley’s $5 million annual salary at UConn. Redick’s company, ThreeFourTwo Productions, produces several podcasts, including his own show, and he has partnerships with DraftKings and Wondery, making him a significant figure in the media industry.

Dan Hurley turned down $70 million and we were all going to the calculators about like what it cost to live in Connecticut versus what it cost to live in L.A., and JJ has a very powerful media career. Not only that he had this great job at our company, ESPN and ABC, his podcast … that is lucrative.
Brian Windhorst said on ESPN’s The Hoop Collective
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Windhorst’s source suggests that Redick’s media career could be worth more than the $70 million offer made to Hurley, highlighting the significant financial sacrifice Redick is making to take on the Lakers coaching job. Despite this, Redick is reportedly thrilled about the opportunity, showing his dedication to coaching and the Lakers organization.

Redick’s media infrastructure, including his production company and partnerships, is substantial, and while he may not continue all of these ventures as Lakers coach, his financial sacrifice is evident. The exact salary figure for Redick’s Lakers deal is unknown, but it’s clear that he’s prioritizing his coaching career over his lucrative media endeavors.

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