Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has been in the headlines over the last couple days due to some of the comments he’s made while abroad with Team USA. Both of his major controversial comments have surrounded the Los Angeles Lakers, with one about LeBron James and the other about JJ Redick.
Embiid’s words about James effectively suggested that he is not the same player he used to be — and that everyone around him knows it — and it could affect Team USA’s chances of winning a gold medal in Paris at the 2024 Olympics. That almost immediately looked foolish when James played the hero in their exhibition victory over South Sudan on Saturday.
But perhaps even more pointed and negative from Embiid were his words about Redick and the Lakers. When asked about his former teammate’s new coaching gig, Embiid had no problem sharing his thoughts about the type of job Redick is about to face, according to David Marchese of the New York Times:
“If I was him, I don’t know if that’s a perfect situation. Maybe he thinks that’s a perfect situation. But if you’re coming in, especially with a job like the Lakers, it’s kind of a make-or-break situation, because if you succeed, great, you’re going to be coaching for years. But if you don’t succeed, those coaches are usually bound to be fired within a year or two. I love him, I’m happy for him, but that’s a tough job.”
While it’s true that the Lakers have not necessarily been a marquee destination for head coaches over the last few years, these are still somewhat inappropriate comments from Embiid. Redick is absolutely in a unique situation as a first-time head coach leading a team with James and Anthony Davis, but it’s not make-or-break for him as Embiid describes.
Embiid is entirely correct that if Redick succeeds, he’ll coach for years and will be seen as a phenomenal hire. But if things go poorly, it’s very unlikely that it would be a reflection of Redick’s abilities as a coach. And for Embiid — a former teammate and friend of Redick — to say those types of things shows a seeming lack of belief.
Jayson Tatum predicted he would be traded to Lakers
While Joel Embiid speaks about JJ Redick’s job and LeBron James’ age, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has been in the news for a different and more positive reason. Tatum posted an essay he wrote in fourth grade on social media to show off that he had dreams of playing for Team USA.
But in that same essay was a prediction that he was going to be traded to the Lakers — from the Phoenix Suns — after six seasons. It didn’t come true, but it adds another layer of Tatum’s long-time dream to don the purple and gold.