JJ Redick: Thunder Are One Of ‘Greatest Teams Ever’ In NBA History

Head coach JJ Redick did a great job leading the Los Angeles Lakers past the Houston Rockets, a collective effort that required each player that hit the court.

Redick was able to keep the group together despite missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, though the latter was able return for Games 5 and 6. Now, however, the group has a near-impossible task ahead of them as they’re set to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round.

Oklahoma City is the major favorite to repeat as champions and Redick had no problem calling them a historic team.

“Each individual guy has had some level of playoff adversity and had to build a scar tissue or confidence and the ability to work through that. I think each group has to do that. It was a hard fought series against Houston. I think every level you go up in the playoffs it gets harder. That’s just the reality. We’ve talked the last three weeks about elevating, we have to elevate even more,” Redick said after Sunday’s practice.

“We saw a stat in our morning meeting this morning of teams that have had back-to-back, or even more than that 10 or more better net ratings in consecutive seasons. You’re talking about the 95-96 Bulls, the 96-97 Bulls and then the 15-17 Warriors. You’re literally talking about two of the greatest teams of all-time. I said to a bunch of people yesterday off-site that were talking about this series to me I said, ‘The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history. That’s just the reality. They are. They’re that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that and we know what kind of task we have in front of us.”

Oklahoma City has almost no weaknesses on paper and are led by the reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round and will be well-rested for the Lakers once Game 1 takes place on Tuesday.

The purple and gold are extreme long shots to win the series, but Redick’s done well to prepare his players for all the challenges they’ve faced up to this point. Hopefully their resiliency can carry them through what will be their biggest obstacle yet.

JJ Redick proud of Lakers’ resiliency despite challenges during 2025-26 season

The Lakers had several ups and downs throughout the 2025-26 season, but still found ways to come out on top. Redick praised the group’s resiliency and believes it set them up for success.