The Los Angeles Lakers picked up their second-straight win on Sunday night, defeating the Sacramento Kings 128-104 at home.
For the second-straight game, it was superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic leading the way in a strong Lakers effort. James scored 24, while Luka led the way with 28 points, nine assists, and five rebounds.
Starters Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton each chipped in with 12 points apiece, with the Lakers shooting 50 percent overall and 46 percent from three-point range.
While those two wins look good, a sideline confrontation between head coach JJ Redick and Luka Doncic has gone viral online, with fans discussing what it could mean for their dynamic with the Lakers.
The video, posted by multiple social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter), shows Luka getting replaced by LeBron in the game against the Golden State Warriors. LeBron taps Luka on the chest as he walks back to the bench.
Before he can return to his seat, Redick tries to grab Luka’s arm to stop him and talk to him about something. Luka keeps walking as if to brush him off in his return to the seat, but Redick follows and keeps talking to him.
The two have what appears to be some strong words between them, possibly arguing over a play that went wrong. Redick then turns to walk back to his spot on the sideline to coach, but Luka stands up.
A teammate reaches over to grab Luka’s arm while Jared Vanderbilt stands up to dance to some music, a bit as if to block Luka from going after Redick. Luka then shakes his head and sits back down.
Fans reacted with various comments about what they saw in the viral X clip, including several defending Redick as the team’s coach.
“At least you should respect your coach. You can't be bigger than the team,” a commenter wrote in the X replies.
Another said, “I respect the fact that JJ will hold his stars accountable. He was clearly pissed at Luka and got in his face to send a message to him about it. Good coaches hold their stars accountable.”
“Vanderbilt's ability here to clearly try and diffuse while optically making it seem that's he's cheering is incredible. A+ teammate,” a commenter wrote about the Lakers player near Luka on the bench.
“JJ Redick may not last long with the Lakers if Luka requests a trade,” one commenter wrote, while another said, “It was nice knowing you JJ redddick as the lakers coach.”
The Lakers acquired Luka in that shocking trade last February with the Dallas Mavericks, where they sent Max Christie, Anthony Davis, and a 2029 first-round pick to the Mavs in the deal.
While he's clearly still a team's franchise player and superstar capable of helping lead a squad to the championship, his defense is often criticized.
Meanwhile, Redick is in his first stint as an NBA head coach, taking over the Lakers in 2024. Based on that tense scene, many feel his time won’t last long, depending on how the Lakers look once LeBron decides to retire or go elsewhere to end his career.
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