Lakers' JJ Redick takes lessons from Rory McIlroy's Masters Tournament win

Redick was late to his pregame press conference as he watched McIlroy's dramatic finish at the Masters.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 12:43am

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the overlapping movements of a basketball player and a golfer, conveying the shared challenges and approaches of top-level competitors.The parallels between elite athletes in different sports are explored through a cubist deconstruction of a basketball player and a golfer.Los Angeles Today

Los Angeles Lakers guard JJ Redick was late to his pregame press conference on Sunday as he was watching the dramatic finish of Rory McIlroy's second consecutive Masters Tournament win. Redick, an avid golfer, said he was curious to see how McIlroy handled his shots, especially on the 18th hole after hitting his tee shot into the pine straw. Redick said he learns from watching golf and athletes like McIlroy, comparing those moments to the world around him.

Why it matters

Redick's interest in golf and his ability to draw parallels between the sport and his own professional basketball career shows how athletes can learn from each other across different sports. Redick's perspective provides insight into how top-level competitors approach challenges and maintain composure under pressure.

The details

Redick was 10 minutes late to his pregame press conference on Sunday as he was watching Rory McIlroy's dramatic finish at the Masters Tournament. McIlroy faded his tee shot into the pine straw on the 18th hole, but was able to recover and make bogey to win his second consecutive Masters title. Redick, an avid golfer, said he was curious to see how McIlroy handled the adversity of the errant tee shot and managed the rest of the hole. Redick compared McIlroy's composure on the final putts to situations he faces in his own basketball career.

  • On Sunday, Redick was late to his pregame press conference as he was watching the end of the Masters Tournament.

The players

JJ Redick

A guard for the Los Angeles Lakers who is an avid golfer and enjoys watching and learning from other elite athletes like Rory McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy

A professional golfer from Northern Ireland who won his second consecutive Masters Tournament title on Sunday.

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What they’re saying

“'I would have been here earlier, but Rory hit it in the trees.'”

— JJ Redick, Lakers Guard

“'It's been awesome for me because I think there's so many parallels to life and there's so many parallels to every other sport within the game of golf and I just wanted to see how Rory sort of managed that.'”

— JJ Redick, Lakers Guard

The takeaway

Redick's interest in golf and his ability to draw lessons from watching elite golfers like Rory McIlroy demonstrates how top athletes can learn from each other across different sports. Redick's perspective provides insight into how professional competitors approach challenges and maintain composure under pressure, which can be applicable to any high-stakes endeavor.