It’s official! LeBron James will enter his 22nd season in the league with the Los Angeles Lakers. And that will see King James play alongside his son Bronny. While there were rumors of Bron potentially leaving for pastures new, his signing an extension with the Lakers didn’t come as a surprise. However, some like Kevin Garnett believe that the Lakers employed a special trick to keep James from leaving the franchise. The Big Ticket pointed out the Lakers’ decision to hire JJ Redick as the Head Coach of the team.

“I think a hire like that seems to me more of a popular or inside, you know what I’m saying? This feels like a leveraging piece in being able to keep LeBron, you know what I’m saying? It’d be hard for Bron to come in here and ask for JJ Redick and then you walk out the door. So I see a couple games being played here and I’m just observing, I’m just observing right,” Garnett said during a special collaborative episode of KG Certified and Knuckleheads Podcasts.

After initial doubts on whether LeBron James will seek a new home after he becomes a free agent, the 20x NBA All-Star finally made the announcement to have signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Garnett clarified that this is simply based on what he has observed so far.

The Lakers’ decision to hire JJ Redick has been met with equal criticism and praise. While many have shown faith in the Duke legend, others aren’t fond of it. Before the Lakers made their choice official, Garnett even declared his doubt on it. He stated that Redick lacks cultural basketball knowledge.

NBA greats expressed doubts over the Lakers’ choice

During a conversation with Stephen A. Smith on KG Certified, Garnett said, “JJ Redick does not know our cultural basketball. Okay, he knows what he knows, okay?” And Garnett isn’t the only one.

Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem had a similar sentiment when it came to Redick. Haslem believes that Redick as the Lakers coach may cause tension in the locker room. He stated that Redick’s relationship with James might have an impact. The two have a podcast together, called, ‘Mind Games.’

He stated that the rest of the players might be doubtful of whether Redick’s decisions are completely independent or if it was influenced by the 4x champion.

“But he has a relationship with LeBron James, so we understand how, when you walk into that locker room, and you’re speaking and trying to figure out how to win a championship, you have to trim a lot of fat and cut through a lot of things that most coaches won’t have to,” Haslem explained during his appearance for ESPN show.

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However, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka is confident that Redick will usher in a new and refreshing chapter for the team. It seems the new HC has quite a lot to handle apart from his coaching responsibilities.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.