Despite earning a win in his first appearance of the regular-season, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was not fully satisfied.
The game, which featured a historic moment between LeBron James and his son Bronny James, was a very convincing victory for the Lakers over the Timberwolves. It was the first win on Opening Night for the franchise since 2016, which made the accomplishment even more impressive.
Redick, however, did not leave the arena without first expressing some grievances about the game. He said that while his team took about as many 3-pointers in the first half as they hoped, there was a much bigger issue.
Redick: "I'm gonna send in a request for the league tomorrow that we can play with worn-in basketballs." pic.twitter.com/IQmPqMm3U0
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 23, 2024
Redick confirmed that he is not joking but that he is neurotic:
“There was even some 3’s there in the second half that I thought were wide open and we just couldn’t know them down. I’m going to send in a request to the league tomorrow that we can play with worn-in basketball … I’m being dead serious. I’m not sure why we’re playing in real games with brand new basketballs. Anybody who has ever touched an NBA ball, brand new, it’s a different feel and touch than a worn-in basketball.”
Redick said he didn’t realize it until a timeout when he touched the ball.
He wants his players to have an “opportunity” to pick a good basketball.
