"LeBron & I did not talk about Lakers job" - JJ Redick breaks silence on LeBron James' role in Lakers' head coach selection

For years now, many fans have said that LeBron James secretly manipulates things behind the scenes for the teams he plays for. Supposedly, the four-time MVP is the man who calls the shots when there are trades, signings and firings, which gave birth to the nickname 'LeGM.'

This was the case again as the Los Angeles Lakers hired JJ Redick as the team's new head coach. While Redick was still just a candidate, rumors swirled that he was being hired simply because he and LeBron host a podcast together.

However, during his introductory press conference, Redick denied the rumors that LeBron was involved in his hiring process.

"LeBron and I did not talk about the Lakers job until Thursday afternoon, about 30 minutes after I was offered the job," Redick said to the media. "That was very intentional on both our parts. I knew, I had an understanding that he did not want to be involved in this and for me I didn't want to go down the path of hypotheticals with someone I consider a friend and someone that I have a great amount of respect for."

With how close JJ Redick and LeBron James have gotten as well as the fact that they host 'Mind the Game' together, it is understandable that fans would speculate.

However, one thing worth noting is that Dan Hurley would have been the head coach of the team had he not opted to remain at UConn. This fact and Redick's statements should help dissuade fans from thinking that LeBron was pushing for his podcast co-host to become the team's newest head coach.

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Rob Pelinka green lights rumors about JJ Redick’s podcast partner LeBron James’ lack of involvement in HC search

During JJ Redick's introductory press conference, Rob Pelinka also got to speak with and answer questions from the media members in attendance. One of the topics that Pelinka addressed was LeBron James' level of involvement while the front office looked for a new head coach to lead the team.

Pelinka, the Lakers general manager, made it clear that the four-time NBA champion was supportive of the front office but was, in fact, not involved.

On the other hand, Pelinka said that Anthony Davis was more involved in the head coaching search and that the two of them had conversations throughout the organization's search for a head coach.

Pelinka stated his belief that a great head coach needs to be able to communicate with his players clearly and highlighted this as one of JJ Redick's strengths.

LeBron James could choose to become a free agent this offseason as he has a player option on his contract. Whether the front office's decision to hire Redick is enough to convince LeBron to remain with the Lakers for next season is something that only time will tell.