What's Going On Between Luka Doncic And JJ Redick?

Luka Doncic is in a great place right now: He’s built a strong MVP case, he has led the Lakers into the Western Conference’s top six, and he even got to take a photo with Novak Djokovic.

While all of this sounds peachy, some things might not be going Luka’s way. For example, his relationship with his head coach.

A viral clip from this past Saturday shows Doncic having a less-than-pleasant interaction with JJ Redick during the Lakers-Warriors matchup at Chase Center. Though there’s no audio from the two individuals in this clip, the body language between player and coach speaks volumes.

In the clip, LeBron James checks into the game for Doncic, who daps up his teammate, bows his head, and curiously opts to avoid walking on the sidelines, as players typically do when heading for the bench. Was he trying to avoid his head coach?

Not having this apparent attempt at non-engagement, Redick tugs on Doncic’s hand but gets no acknowledgment from the Slovenian star. Even before Doncic settles into his seat, Redick appears to give him an earful. The six-time All-Star fires back, then eventually extends his hand to try to dap up Redick. The Lakers head coach, however, had already started walking back to his usual spot near the halfcourt line.

At that point, Doncic rose from his seat and looked ready to escalate things. In perhaps the most hilarious moment of this clip, Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt stood up and made a point to clap for the team’s five on the floor. Conveniently, Vando stood in Doncic’s way as he cheered for LBJ and company.

Was this a disagreement that stemmed from a situation on Saturday, or is this a symptom of a relationship that’s been strained for quite some time? It wasn’t that long ago when Redick reportedly met with Doncic and James to demand more effort on the defensive end. With the playoffs coming up and a number of teams breathing down the Lakers’ necks, Redick and his players (especially the cornerstones) need to be on the same page.

It’s worth noting that Redick teamed with Doncic as the 15-year veteran played the final season of his own playing career in Dallas. Then again, James (not Doncic) was instrumental in bringing Redick to Tinseltown. How all of this plays out in the postseason is anyone’s guess.