The Charlotte Hornets are looking at every possible nook and crevice to find the perfect head coach to replace Steve Clifford. They have gone through multiple head-coaching candidates, some of whom were notable NBA players in their younger days.
As the Hornets have seemingly not found the right candidate yet, their extensive search continues. Their search takes them to an interesting direction as they have interviewed one of the more popular former-players-turned-analysts who hasn’t been that far removed from his playing career.
Charlotte Hornets interview JJ Redick to assess his fit as the team’s next head coach
Matt Hladik of The Spun reported that Redick is being considered for the position as they continue exploring their options. Shams Charania first broke the news and is reportedly in line with the former Duke Blue Devil’s long-term plans:
“The Charlotte Hornets are interviewing JJ Redick for their head coaching job,” Charania reported Monday night. “The 15-year NBA veteran and former Duke star has shown an interest in making a coaching jump in recent years.”
The Hornets aren’t the first team who tried to make a move for Redick. The Toronto Raptors also reportedly gave him an interview in 2023 to see if he would be a great mentor to handle a rebuilding project.
It’s important to note that besides leading his son’s youth teams, Redick hasn’t had any serious coaching jobs under his belt. However, he did confirm that he’s getting offers from multiple franchises over the years:
“I’ve had discussions and offers in terms of being an assistant coach and on the staff from a number of teams,” Redick told Pablo Torre on an episode of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” back in January.
JJ Redick was a prolific player who built his name as one of the deadliest snipers during his 15-year career. He’s most popular for his stints with the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers, but he also spent time in Dallas, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Philadelphia.
After retiring from the game, he became an analyst for and host for two popular basketball podcasts, The Old Man and the Three with Tommy Alter and Mind the Game with LeBron James. Since he regularly flexes his basketball mind, it’s no wonder teams are interested in trying him out as a head coaching candidate.
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