Magic Johnson. Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Magic Johnson has interesting take on JJ Redick hire

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Jun 21, 2024 10:11 AM ET

Magic Johnson knows what it's like to trade in the gym shorts for the clipboard.

In 1994, he followed in the footsteps of many former players who assumed a head coaching job without prior experience, taking over the Lakers. The legend's experiment lasted all of 16 games.

With JJ Redick set to embark on his coaching journey, Johnson shared on X that is "cautiously optimistic" that the retired sharpshooter will have better luck than him and many others who failed to make the transition.

Johnson believes Redick's success hinges on him bringing the same "mental and physical toughness" that made him a legend at Duke and an above-average role player for 15 years in the NBA.

I’m cautiously optimistic that this new hire is a success for both the Lakers and JJ Reddick. I enjoyed watching him as a player - great 3-point shooting, high basketball IQ, passion for the game, and mental and physical toughness. If he can bring how he played professionally to…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 20, 2024

Through another post, Johnson urged the Rob Pelinka-led front office to make significant roster upgrades this offseason to remain relevant in the loaded Western Conference.

Naming a head coach was just the first step. Even bigger than naming JJ Reddick as the Head Coach, Rob Pelinka's next step must be to improve the roster if we are going to compete against all the powerhouse teams in the West like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Suns,…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 20, 2024

The Lakers will get that opportunity starting with the NBA Draft, when they will select No. 17 and No. 56 over the two rounds. Several insiders believe the Purple & Gold will shop the likes of Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and potentially D'Angelo Russell (sign and trade) to land a third star to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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