If you tuned into the Lakers vs. Timberwolves game hoping for basketball, you got something way better: JJ Redick absolutely losing his entire mind on national television while his team won a game that felt more like a UFC undercard. The chaos started early, got violent fast, and ended with Redick screaming into the void as Luka Doncic quietly dropped 31 points like it was a Tuesday at the park.
Seriously, this wasn’t just a basketball game. This was an episode of “JJ Redick: This Is Not What I Signed Up For.”
It all reached its peak in the third quarter. Things were falling apart: turnovers, missed rotations, Rui Hachimura had already left the game after taking a Naz Reid elbow straight to the face, and JJ had had it. He called a timeout with the urgency of a man discovering his house is on fire—then launched into a tirade so explicit it should’ve come with a rating warning: JJ Redick (courtesy of TNT OT): “Time out. What the f*** is going on. Time out. Jesus f***ing Christ, the f*** are you guys doing. Come on!“
JJ Redick cussing out everyone: “Time out. What the fuck is going on. Time out. Jesus fucking Christ, the fuck are you guys doing. Come on!” (almost sounds like Ant is going “yeah JJ yeah, in the background” — via TNT OT)
Thanks to the Redditor u/sewsgup for the video:… pic.twitter.com/KsLlmlld48
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 23, 2025
You could practically hear generations of ESPN producers gasping. TNT’s camera didn’t even cut away. Why would they? It was gold. Basketball? Fine. JJ Redick becoming the meme of the night? Elite content.
In the background, you could even hear Anthony Edwards chime in with a sarcastic “Yeah JJ, yeah,” like he was part of the hype crew. Because, of course Ant would be egging it on. That’s what Ant does.
As JJ stormed up and down the sideline looking like a man who aged ten years in ten minutes, Claire De Lune expressed her concerns for him, saying: “someone needs to do a wellness check on jj redick at halftime, he looks like he is gonna have a coronary“
JJ went from “calm podcast guy with stats” to “the human embodiment of a car alarm” in four quarters. This Lakers job might be the greatest thing to ever happen to him—or the reason he starts drinking celery juice while pacing in the dark.
And it’s not like the team helped.
Playoffs Game 2 or a soap opera?
Earlier in the night, while both teams were warming up, Anthony Edwards randomly wandered over to the Lakers’ side and said something to Luka Doncic that made the Slovenian star laugh. Classic Ant—just stirring the pot for sport. There was no beef, no trash talk, just mischief. Luka probably thought, “This dude’s hilarious,” and then proceeded to go out and become the third Laker ever to score 30+ in each of his first two playoff games.
Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura took a scary elbow to the face in the first quarter while battling inside with Naz Reid. The slow-motion replay was nasty—Reid’s elbow caught him flush, and Rui dropped, clutching his head. JJ’s face tightened like someone told him Stephen A. Smith was subbing in.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more unhinged, Julius Randle accidentally spiked LeBron James in the face like a volleyball with five minutes left in the game. He came down from a rebound and just full-on smacked Bron across the jaw. LeBron blinked, confused, like, “Did that just happen?” and JJ looked like he was ready to file a noise complaint against reality.
Nov 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts against the Phoenix Suns during an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Lakers won 94-85, with Luka leading the way and LeBron adding 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Timberwolves couldn’t shoot (38% from the field), and Mike Conley somehow scored zero. But none of that was the real headline.
The story of the night was JJ Redick melting down like a coach in a Will Ferrell sports movie, while Anthony Edwards giggled and Rui iced his face.
This wasn’t just a win. This was a spiritual test for JJ Redick. If he makes it through this postseason without punching a Gatorade cooler or writing a burner account manifesto, he deserves Coach of the Year and a three-week silent retreat.
The post Anthony Edwards Caught Fueling JJ Redick’s Heated Rant as Many Worry for Lakers HC’s Health appeared first on EssentiallySports.