EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers added a huge boost to JJ Redick’s confidence going into year two as the franchise’s head coach, announcing they’ve extended his contract ahead of the season, President of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka announced Thursday at the first press conference of the new season.
"We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us to continue to define the culture of Lakers excellence," said Pelinka. "We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what we’re going to lean into, and what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity."
Confidence and belief in Redick were the main catalysts in extending his contract after one season with the franchise, a year in which they went 50-32 and secured the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference in the midst of piecing together an unfinished roster after a dramatic exchange of stars that brought Luka Dončić to L.A.
"It's not lost on me, this sort of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension," Redick said. "I recognize how fortunate I am to be in an organization that supports me in that way."
He signed a four-year deal with the Lakers ahead of the 2024-25 season and the terms of the new deal were not announced, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that it is a multiyear extension.
Every year, no matter the case, the expectation behind a franchise that's had so much success is championships or bust. For the Lakers under Redick, he understands that and the pressure is always going to be there to bring another championship to the city.
"We're going to ask guys to be in championship shape, have championship communication, and championship habits... it's a daily commitment," Redick said.
Redick took time this summer to pick apart multiple coaches' brains this offseason, spending a day with Rams head coach Sean McVay and even talking with Tom Brady, discussing what it takes to run a team.
His reason behind it? Growth. A trait that likely pushed the franchise, and Pelinka, to extend him.
"Really just about continued growth for myself... my staff and I feel like we're all in a good place to serve this basketball team and our players," Redick said.
Before joining the Lakers, Redick spent a lot of time with head coaches, likely because being a coach was on the horizon, and McVay was a coach he developed a relationship with through former Rams OL, now retired, Andrew Whitworth.
The Lakers now head into the 2025-26 season with all the confidence in the world and, more importantly, belief in their head coach, a rarity in this position, as head coaches have been rinsed and recycled since Phil Jackson was at the helm.