Breaking News:Lakers Unveil Powerhouse Coaching Team Led by JJ Redick for 2024-25 NBA Season

The Los Angeles Lakers officially unveiled their full coaching staff for the 2024-25 season on Monday, with head coach JJ Redick accompanied by six assistants. Lindsey Harding, the franchise’s first female coach, joins veterans Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks on the coaching staff.

  Here’s a look at the full group:

• Head coach: JJ Redick

After a 15-year career, Redick retired in 2021 and rapidly became one of the media’s most regarded figures. Perhaps most notably, he launched a podcast with LeBron James in March called “Mind the Game,” which received rave reviews. Despite his lack of coaching expertise, he was able to use his on-air success and friendship with James to land the Lakers position.

Redick is diving headfirst into his coaching career, and how he does remains to be seen. What we do know is that he has a high basketball IQ, understands analytics, and has James’ trust, which may be the most essential element of all

° Assistant Coach: Neta McMillan

McMillan has nearly two decades of coaching experience with four different clubs, most recently as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks from 2021 to 2023. As a former player who has made the move to the sidelines, he is expected to play an important role in assisting Redick in learning the game.

• Assistant Coach: Scott Brooks

Brooks, like McMillan, is an NBA veteran who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. He had his best run as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008 to 2015, and he was most recently an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers.

° Assistant Coach: Bob Beyer

Beyer began coaching at the collegiate level in 1983, and while he has never been a head coach in the NBA, he has been an assistant for more than two decades, working with eight different organizations. He is yet another veteran for Redick to rely on.

°  Assistant Coach: Greg St. Jean

When the Lakers won the championship on the bubble in 2020, St. Jean was a player development coach for Frank Vogel. He’s returned to work alongside Redick. Adding someone with expertise working with the organization and numerous players on the roster, including James and Anthony Davis, is a wise decision.

°   Assistant Coach: Lindsay Harding

Harding and Redick were both star players at Duke in the mid-2000s, and now they’ll be teammates on the Lakers. After a lengthy WNBA career, Harding has worked her way up the coaching ranks, earning G League Coach of the Year honors last season for her performance with the Stockton Kings. She is the first female coach in Lakers history.

°  Assistant Coach: Beau Levesque

Following a brief abroad career, Levesque transitioned into coaching, most recently serving as the Los Angeles Clippers’ player development coordinator. Redick has stated that he wants player development to be a top priority during his tenure, and Levesque will be at the forefront of that effort.

The Lakers are coming off a disappointing season in which they won the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs through the Play-In Tournament but were defeated in the first round by the Denver Nuggets. The early exit confirmed Darvin Ham’s fate, as he was removed after two seasons in charge.

Redick will inherit a nearly same squad from last season and will be tasked with resurrecting the Lakers’ status as a contender in the stacked Western Conference.