By Sunday 
Rookie Coach, Veteran Vibes
JJ Redick may be a rookie head coach, but he sure didn’t look like one this season. Steering the ever-dramatic, ever-watched Los Angeles Lakers through a grueling 82-game marathon—and somehow keeping his sanity intact—Redick capped off his first year with the franchise in true Hollywood style: a 50-win season, a third seed in the Western Conference, and… a surprise waterpark moment in the locker room.
Buckets of Water, Buckets of Wins
After the Lakers steamrolled the Houston Rockets 140-109 on Friday night, the celebration was on. Not content with just a high-five or a trophy emoji in the group chat, the team soaked Redick with not one, not two, but eight buckets of water. (We assume someone checked the floor for slipping hazards.)
“I actually didn’t know we were gonna do it and then who was it, I think LeBron did it or Vando,” Rui Hachimura laughed postgame. “And it just kept going. The whole locker room is literally water. Straight water.”
Turns out, Redick had set his sights on a clear goal from the jump: 50 wins and the third seed. Mission accomplished. And when you hit a milestone like that, a water ambush from LeBron James might just be the highest form of respect.
Trials, Trades, and Team Chemistry
This season wasn’t without its battles. Redick juggled roster changes, locker room personalities, and—oh yeah—his house burned down during the Palisades fire. But through all of it, he built trust, stability, and, as Hachimura described, a strong locker room bond.
“I’m just happy to be here with this organization since I got traded here, with these teammates,” Hachimura shared. “I’ve had a lot of teammates (laughs), but the core guys, I’ve known them for a long time… I feel comfortable here and I wanna win here.”
Building Something Bigger
Culture isn’t built overnight, but Redick’s first-year résumé suggests he’s laying a pretty solid foundation. From instability to unity, and from question marks to a playoff berth, he’s shown he can lead from the sidelines just as well as he once did from beyond the arc.
Now, with the regular season wrapped and postseason looming, Redick and the Lakers are gearing up for the real test. If this first year was the warm-up, buckle up. The playoffs are about to begin—and L.A. might just be ready to make waves again.
Just maybe with fewer buckets of water next time.