The Los Angeles Lakers picked up back-to-back wins on Saturday and Sunday. First, they beat the Golden State Warriors 129-101 before rolling over the Sacramento Kings128-104 Sunday night. The 36-24 franchise occupies the No. 6 seed in the West, but their last two wins have helped them open up a two-game gap ahead of the No. 7 Phoenix Suns.
Luka Doncic led the team over this stretch, averaging 27 points, 8.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. While the Lakers have also had Austin Reaves and LeBron James at their disposal, their success seems inherently tied to the version of Doncic they get on a night-to-night basis.
During their win over the Warriors on Saturday, a fan captured a tense moment between Doncic and Lakers head coach JJ Redick. Redick tried to communicate with Doncic after subbing him out, but the guard gave his coach the cold shoulder.
Redick followed up aggressively, sharing words with Doncic before walking away. Jarred Vanderbilt seemingly got up to diffuse the situation before Doncic pursued his coach up the sideline.
This clip has many fans speculating on the nature of the relationship between Doncic and Redick.
"Very normal between coach & player who have a strong connection to express their emotions freely without taking it personally," said one fan.
"No idea how good JJ is as a coach and I like Luka as a player, but I'm with the coach here. You don't get to walk away after barely acknowledging LBJ coming off, then trying to walk past the coach with zero acknowledgement. Coaches need to be harder on the stars," said another fan.
"It honestly looks like a misunderstanding that can be fixed. Don’t think it had anything to do with the game. Looks like Luka is still down on himself (off court). JJ tried to give him a 5, Luka doesn’t see and keeps walking, JJ forces it and holds his hand, basically a lil offended," explained a fan.
"Vando will have some insane podcast episodes in the following years," said one fan about Vanderbilt's contribution.
"Vando’s a great teammate," said another about Vanderbilt.
David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Redick and Doncic have shared a bond since before Redick took the Lakers job last season, as the coach ended his playing career alongside Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic has even made special appearances on Redick's podcast before, so it's likely something that stems from their relationship as coach and star player.
Doncic is known to be emotional on the court and has moments where he challenged his former head coaches like Rick Carlisle and Jason Kidd. However, both Kidd and Carlisle challenged Doncic back and enjoyed success on the court. Redick is also giving Doncic the resistance his previous coaches offered him, so this interaction shouldn't be overblown.
Redick is known to be a fiery coach and Doncic is known to be a fiery player. The pair were bound to have some moments like this over a season. They likely have had worse spats away from cameras, but that shouldn't be an indictment on their relationship as a whole.
Doncic is averaging 32.5 points, 8.6 assists and 7.7 rebounds this season, so Redick knows the value he brings to the court.
Given the win over the Kings took place after this interaction during the Golden State game, it's safe to say their relationship is functional enough to maximize performances. They'll hope this success continues further as the Lakers host the New Orleans Pelicans at 10:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.