Moving on from JJ Redick, LeBron James returns with a new partner on Mind The Game as he squashes Stephen A. Smith's prior accusation.

LeBron James Breaks Silence on Stephen A. Smith’s Accusations as He Moves On From JJ Redick in Massive Business Move

“For the time being, and hopefully it’s a very, very long time, I am excommunicated from the content space,” JJ Redick [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/jj-redick/] said during his introductory press conference with the Lakers. Since then, both the head coach and LeBron James’ ‘Mind The Game’ have been on a break. But it’s coming back. And most things remain the same. There will be wine, the Akron Hammer, and an intellectual head coach sitting in front of him, dwelling on the nuances of the games. But is the head coach JJ Redick? Unfortunately not. The renowned podcaster is sticking to his words. In his place will be former Nets HC Steve Nash, who will break down the most complex plays in basketball. It will be part of James’ new deal with Amazon Prime’s Wondery. A short preview made its way to Instagram. The first scene itself is James disagreeing with a midseason blockbuster trade disturbing a team’s dynamics – maybe his way of defending the Luka Doncic [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/luka-doncic/] swap? But that wasn’t all. At first, when he started the venture with Redick, it attracted major scrutiny. Many thought of it as a job application as the Lakers searched for a head coach at the time. So James wanted to clear the air. “Real quick, if he gets a head coaching job because whatever, we didn’t talk about this beforehand guys”, the four-time MVP sarcastically said in the short clip. This was mainly aimed at those who accused him of abandoning Darwin Ham after a rough season last year to push Redick’s name forward. Notably, Stephen A. Smith, who recently has been in a rift with the 40-year-old made some comments about the issue. “JJ is a different situation because of the situation LeBron James and his camp created by doing that podcast in the middle of the season knowing that Darvin Ham was on the hot seat. I don’t care what anybody says, that was a very egregious thing to do,” Smith said during a First Take episode. To be fair to him, at that time the timing and the Lakers’ decision to later hire Redick did play into his narrative. But LeBron James [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/lebron-james/] has always kept the same stance. Their podcast together came into existence because of their love for the intricate parts of basketball. Anything else was a byproduct. Redick didn’t want to coach because of the podcast. Mentally, he was ready to do so a long time ago. JJ REDICK ALWAYS WANTED TO COACH After retiring, JJ Redick found great success in the media space. Players willingly came on his ‘Old Man and the Three’ podcast. Furthermore, he also landed a seat at ESPN’s studios, standing toe-to-toe against Stephen A. Smith in debates. His love for the game saw him flourish as a game commentator, where his colorful breakdown of plays and player mindsets instantly pushed him to call his first-ever NBA Finals. However, he genuinely missed the competitive kick of being in an intense NBA locker room. So since 2023, he opened his mind to coaching, a gig several NBA players thought Redick could succeed in. It all started when he interviewed for the Toronto Raptors and as the urge grew stronger, so did his determination. In 2024, before he even had a conversation with Rob Pelinka, Redick admitted he and LeBron James never even discussed the possibility. The Lakers GM also made it clear. The Purple and Gold see him as a coach for the future and not just to please “LeBron’s final chapter”. In fact, it wasn’t until Redick was completely sold that he called LeBron James. “So, that’s when I first called LeBron. First time we had talked about me coaching. And I came back. I sat back down. I said, ‘All right, I’m in,” he revealed, having talked to the Akron Hammer when having dinner with his father at Duke. So even though it seems James had a heavy influence, that was never the case. JJ Redick is a basketball savvy who is obsessed with competing and introducing new ideologies. The purity of that is what drew the Lakers in and to eventually hire him as a coach. And in his very first season, the improvements are striking. He is a candidate for COTY and has placed the Lakers in a winning position despite multiple challenges. What are your thoughts on this? 

Mitali Dey is a Tennis writer and editor at EssentiallySports. Having grown up professionally competing in various disciplines from Table Tennis to Karate, sports have been second nature to her. Being an English major, her compelling need to write blends seamlessly with her fascination for tennis in her role at EssentiallySports.
While writing, Mitali aspires to tell stories that animate words with the soul of sports. But come the editorial bit and she will level with the bird in Hawk-eye. As for who she roots for in tennis, she'll passionately defend Rafael Nadal as the G.O.A.T. and rue over his absences in the same breath.
Every now and then, Mitali walks away to stress bake when the good old teapot can't do the trick. Away from the world of sports, she is also a passionate theatre practitioner with a penchant for improvising and an avid reader with an ever-growing (read: impossibly long) to-be-read pile.

Mitali Dey

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Anuj Talwalkar is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, with over 3,000 articles to his name—and counting. Specializing in game analysis, post-game pressers, and deep dives into player performances, he brings the thrill of the sport to life through his writing. He’s also built a reputation for his quick, sharp coverage of breaking news, setting a standard that now inspires junior writers at ES. Anuj’s love for basketball started over a decade ago when match highlights pulled him into the game, and it only grew stronger from there. He holds a deep admiration for relentless competitors like Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant—players who left it all on the court every single time. When he’s not writing or catching up on the latest NBA action, you’ll likely find him playing ball outdoors, reading up on sports management, or spending quality time with family.

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LeBron James Breaks Silence on Stephen A. Smith’s Accusations as He Moves On From JJ Redick in Massive Business Move

LeBron James Breaks Silence on Stephen A. Smith’s Accusations as He Moves On From JJ Redick in Massive Business Move

JJ Redick always wanted to coach