The Los Angeles Lakers got schooled 123-87 by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, marking their third loss in a row and second to the Thunder in one week.
But beyond the scoreboard, broadcast cameras caught a visible, vocal argument between head coach JJ Redick and forward Jarred Vanderbilt on the sideline that spilled into the postgame presser.
The second-year coach addressed it directly after the game, describing the incident as a "confluence of things" and calling it routine on his end.
Just 16 seconds into the second quarter, after a missed shot, Redick called a timeout specifically to pull Vanderbilt from the game. He sent second-year guard Dalton Knecht to replace the 27-year-old.
When Vanderbilt realized he was being pulled, he confronted Redick near the free-throw line while the coach was using a whiteboard to diagram a play. Assistant coach Nate McMillan and Austin Reaves, who was out with an injury, had to step between them to stop their argument.
Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
When pressed on what specifically Vanderbilt did wrong during the postgame presser, Redick declined to be specific and said, "Just a confluence of things. Nothing personal with him. Normal stuff from my end. I think for all of us, being undermanned, we've got to scrap and claw.”
He added, “We've got to all be on the same page. We've got to be great teammates. We've got to all play hard. Called a timeout to take him out of the game, he reacted, just normal interaction for me."
Vanderbilt finished with three points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal in just five minutes. He missed three straight free throws before the first-quarter buzzer and stayed on the bench for the rest of the game after his second-quarter argument with Redick.
However, his benching is part of a trend. Even when healthy, Vanderbilt has been out of the rotation for large chunks of the season, including most of late 2025 and much of March. Through 62 games, Vanderbilt is averaging approximately 4.5 points and 4.4 rebounds.
He reportedly left the arena before reporters could talk to him, leaving Redick to address the situation alone. The 50-29 Lakers have three games left, starting Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. Whether Vanderbilt plays is unclear, but his relationship with the coaching staff looks shaky heading into the postseason.
