JJ Redick Put on Blast as Deandre Ayton’s 'Disrespectful Mockery' Sparks Harsh Verdict From Ex-NFL Star

JJ Redick went off on his team following their 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday. However, his post-game remarks were played down by Deandre Ayton, whose "disrespectful" reaction sparked a harsh verdict from ex-NFL star Emmanuel Acho.

Discussing Ayton's comments, the former Browns linebacker put Redick on blast during his podcast "Speakeasy" on Monday.

"I done told y’all the Lakers don’t respect that man (Redick)," Acho said (Timestamp: 1:38). "Deandre Ayton went on camera to the podium and said, 'And y’all believe that?' And then he just laughed about it. Like, how do you make a disrespectful mockery of your coach’s press conference?"

Continuing his rant, the NFL star aimed at Redick, saying the Lakers’ head coach hadn’t done anything to earn “respect” in the first place.

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"They don’t respect JJ Redick, but they shouldn’t respect JJ Redick," Ocho continued. "What has JJ Redick done to earn respect as a coach? He didn’t move through the coaching ranks. What, he coaches kids in PB?" "What did he do? Work for ESPN, do a podcast, Mind the Game with LeBron? What has JJ Redick done to earn your respect as a head coach? He ain’t done nothing."

While Acho’s criticism carries some weight when looking at Redick’s Lakers tenure, which only includes a first-round exit, it doesn’t tell the full story.

In his first run as a head coach, Redick helped the Lakers finish as the second seed and has kept them in the playoff conversation this season.

His comments after the loss to the Rockets also felt justified, especially with Los Angeles dropping three straight games for the first time all year. While Redick has yet to turn the Lakers into true title contenders, it’s fair to say he’s done an admirable job so far.

Deandre Ayton downplays JJ Redick’s “uncomfortable” practice comments amid Lakers’ roughest stretch

Deandre Ayton turned heads on Sunday after downplaying JJ Reddick's comments. The center appeared to mock his coach’s claim that practice would be “uncomfortable” following their loss to the Houston Rockets.

"And y’all bought into that?” Ayton remarked. "I’m not going to tell y’all. I’m not saying anything."

Redick didn’t sugarcoat things after the loss to the Rockets, offering a blunt assessment of his team’s effort.

While Ayton appeared to brush off those comments, they clearly struck a chord, as the Lakers bounced back with an emphatic 125–101 win over the Sacramento Kings in their next game.

Edited by Arian Kashyap