J.J. Redick is not backing away from the word championship. LeBron James left the Lakers earlier in 2026, and the franchise has not won a title since 2020. Redick still believes this revamped roster can develop into a championship-level team. One NBA announcer is already doubting him.
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“I actually believe that J.J. Redick went to lunch before that press conference, and he had a couple,” said Eddie Johnson about Redick’s championship remarks. “He had a couple, man. He had some tequila, some vodka cranberry, he had something. Because how could you be championship ready?”
Redick’s claims rose from his experience, seeing his team play and gel with one another. Star players like Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves form the foundation of the new Lakers roster, but is that enough?
“Now you got two guys on your team that are special. I mean, Austin Reaves, the guy’s special as a scorer. Obviously, we know what Luka is, but who’s next? Like if you’re gonna have a championship team, you better have three guys at least that you can count on,” Johnson said on Justine Termine’s Termine Crashes Out podcast.
Though Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton have been two more prominent names joining the squad this year, they’ve been absent from preseason games due to fitness issues and are yet to cement their place as guys that can be counted on.
The veteran’s argument is that the team does not have anyone to replace Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves in case they get “compromised.” While the concern may sound disproportionate to some, it became a real issue last season.
On April 2, 2026, Luka Doncic sustained a grade 2 hamstring injury while playing against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As a result, the team’s top scorer was walked off the court. He missed the rest of the regular season and the entire postseason.
As a result, the Lakers were eliminated by OKC in round two through a brutal 4-0 sweep.
Fans saw it as the team crumbling without their star player. Doncic saw it as him letting the “team down,” he said in a recent conversation with Sports Illustrated. Things became even more complicated later on. LeBron James left the team after spending eight seasons with them.
As a result, the Lakers now have a future Hall-of-Famer-shaped hole to fill. The organization tried to build its core around Luka Doncic, but given his injury last season, the team’s real test is yet to come. Coach J.J. Redick, meanwhile, has kept an eye out on what his team is capable of.
“I’ve watched these guys play,” he told The Athletic in October 2026. “I’ve played against these guys, or coached against these guys, and I’ve also gotten to see (them) at our vet minicamp in Vegas (in mid-July). I got to see it all of August and September.”
Therefore, his confidence literally stems from the work he’s seen the team put in during the training camp. The Athletic’s report suggests that it isn’t some sports psychology tactic to make the team believe in its potential.
Like Redick, Luka Doncic also revealed that he’s believed in the team’s ability to win the championship since “the first day”. Now, the team’s first test is set for October 21, 2026, against the Golden State Warriors.