It appears that JJ Redick has bigger things to worry about than feuding with Charles Barkley.
When asked on Friday about Barkley’s comments about the Lakers’ mid-season struggles, Redick chose not to engage.
“I literally don’t care,” the Lakers head coach said before their game against the Hawks. “I have other thoughts, but I don’t care.”
Barkley tore into Redick during Thursday’s episode of “Inside the NBA,” calling him a “dead man walking” during his first year as the Lakers head coach.
“He said something about, ‘We’re the reasons people ain’t watching this crappy product we got,’ like we out there jacking up a hundred 3s a night,” Barkley said. “JJ, you come for the king you better not miss because I can get you, brother.”
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer continued by saying that Redick hasn’t measured up to other recent Lakers coaches, referencing the success of previous bench bosses Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham.
“He came in there thinking, ‘I can make this thing work,’” Barkley said. “Hell, you can! Put some makeup on that pig! The Lakers stink, man. Come on, man.”
Barkley’s snide remarks stem from comments Redick made last month regarding the dip in NBA television ratings.
The Lakers head coach hinted at basketball analysts as one of the potential reasons behind the ratings dip.
“If I’m a casual fan and you tell me every time I turn on the television that the product sucks, well, I’m not going to watch the product,” Redick said. “And that’s really what has happened over the last 10 to 15 years. I don’t know why. It’s not funny to me.”
Despite not naming anyone in particular, Redick referenced that “national partners” have contributed to the negativity surrounding the NBA, according to The Athletic.
The crew on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” have shared their displeasure with the rise in 3-pointers this season.
Prior to joining the Lakers, Redick worked as an analyst for ESPN and hosted a basketball podcast with LeBron James.
Entering Friday, the Lakers held a 19-14 record, good sixth in the Western Conference.
