Lakers' Redick on Barkley's criticism: 'Literally don't care'
JJ Redick doesn't have time for Charles Barkley's concerns.
The Los Angeles Lakers head coach responded to comments made by the TNT analyst after Barkley called Redick a "dead man walking" and questioned his belief in changing the team's fortunes during Thursday's broadcast.
"I didn't make it all the way through the clip, I gotta be honest with you," Redick said before the team's contest against the Atlanta Hawks, per NBA reporter Mark Medina. "My resting heart rate is probably 64. I watched the clip, it was 64. (I) literally don't care. I have other thoughts, but I don't care."
Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed indifference on Charles Barkley’s viral clap back for JJ recently saying broadcast partners don’t do good enough of a job with celebrating the game pic.twitter.com/TnmVVTVgaf
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 4, 2025
Barkley's comments were made in response to Redick's own remarks to The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jovan Buha in December that basketball storytelling doesn't celebrate the game, which was seen as a shot at "Inside the NBA."
"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. And that's really what has happened over the last 10-to-15 years," Redick told Amick and Buha. "I don't know why. It's not funny to me."
Redick's squad beat the Portland Trail Blazers 114-106 on Thursday, bringing the Lakers to 19-14 on the season. Los Angeles is sixth in the Western Conference but one game out from taking the fourth seed away from the Denver Nuggets.
The first-time head coach previously served as an analyst for ESPN and hosted "The Old Man and the Three" podcast.