Immature JJ Redick melts down before Game 5, needed Reggie Miller to calm him down as Lakers get eliminated from the NBA Playoffs

JJ Redick and LeBron James built their whole Lakers partnership on arrogance, entitlement, and a cringe podcast bromance — so watching it all implode is poetic. From day one, this thing was a circus. Now Redick’s cracking under pressure, and honestly, it’s exactly what he signed up for. The only person I feel bad for is Luka Doncic, who got dragged into their disaster.

With his team on the verge of elimination Wednesday night, Redick was apparently in full meltdown mode. First, he made headlines for walking out of a pregame press conference after being questioned about his bizarre late-game rotations. He ran the same group of guys for the entire second half in Game 4, and — shocker — they ran out of gas and choked the lead away. When a reporter brought it up, Redick stormed out like a little kid.

But that wasn’t even the worst of it.

Brian Windhorst calls out JJ Redick

Brian Windhorst calls out JJ Redick after the Lakers lost in 5 to the Timberwolves.

"Reggie Miller said on the broadcast last night he had to try to calm him down in the pregame meeting because JJ was acting, frankly, childishly." pic.twitter.com/kRzpWvTE7j

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 1, 2025

How soft do you have to be that a retired Pacers legend has to step in and emotionally stabilize you? Windhorst called it childish behavior — and honestly, he’s spot on.

Let’s Call It Like It Is: JJ Redick Is Arrogant as Hell

I’m just going to say it: JJ Redick has always seemed like an arrogant prick.

The podcasting. The fake deep quotes. The energy like he’s the smartest guy in the room. He talks down to people in the media. From the moment he stepped into that Lakers job, it felt like he thought he was above criticism — like he’s some basketball savant who should never be questioned.

Well guess what? He was questioned. And he snapped.

Read More: Timberwolves relentlessly troll the Lakers after five-game gentleman’s sweep in Round 1 >>

This is exactly what happens when the ego doesn’t match the results. All that bravado, all that self-importance — and now he just received a gentlemen’s sweep as punishment. It’s funny how that works huh?

And don’t get it twisted — I’m a massive Luka Doncic fan. I was rooting heavily for the Mavs in the Finals last year (obviously), and even this year I was keeping my eye on them prior to that insane trade that sent Luka to LA in the first place.

Oh, and That Mark Williams Trade?

Let’s not forget the Lakers vetoed the Mark Williams trade at the deadline. The one guy who could’ve helped them survive in the paint — and they passed. That decision aged like milk, and Williams seemed real happy to see LA go home early.

Mark Williams on IG celebrating the Lakers’ downfall: pic.twitter.com/aiCVP5lCW3

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2025

So what’s next for Lakers? Well, it starts with LeBron deciding if he’s sticking around or calling it a career. JJ Redick, on the other hand, needs to do some serious self-reflection — not podcast therapy sessions, actual coaching growth. He has to mature fast if he wants to survive in this league. And as much as I love Luka Doncic, he’s not off the hook either. His conditioning has to improve if he wants to carry a team deep into June. That’s your starting point: LeBron’s future, JJ’s ego check, and Luka hitting the treadmill.

Buckle up — it’s going to be an interesting offseason in L.A.

Join The Chase