Lakers' Redick Downplays Heated Sideline Exchange with Vanderbilt

Coach says incident with reserve forward was 'normal interaction' amid Lakers' blowout loss to Thunder.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 7:07am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the animated confrontation between a basketball coach and player on the sideline, with their figures broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes.A tense sideline exchange between a coach and player reflects the Lakers' struggles to find unity amid a difficult season.Oklahoma City Today

Lakers coach JJ Redick said the verbal exchange with reserve forward Jarred Vanderbilt during the second quarter of Tuesday's 123-87 blowout loss to the Thunder was 'nothing personal' and a 'normal interaction' for Redick. Redick quickly subbed Vanderbilt out of the game after the exchange, and Vanderbilt did not return to the court.

Why it matters

The heated exchange between Redick and Vanderbilt on the Lakers' bench highlights the team's struggles this season, as they continue to search for the right rotation and players who are 'all in' on the team's fight to turn things around.

The details

As the Lakers were going back to the bench after a missed shot, Vanderbilt walked into the coaches' huddle and appeared to try to talk animatedly to Redick, who was using the whiteboard with an assistant coach. Star guard Austin Reaves stepped between Vanderbilt and Redick, and assistant coach Nate McMillan held Vanderbilt's back before Redick walked to the team's bench. Vanderbilt continued talking to Redick, who at one point shrugged and waved Vanderbilt off.

  • The incident occurred 16 seconds into the second quarter.
  • Vanderbilt did not return to the game after being subbed out.

The players

JJ Redick

The Lakers' head coach, who has a history of heated exchanges with players on the bench.

Jarred Vanderbilt

The Lakers' reserve forward, who was involved in the heated exchange with Redick.

Austin Reaves

The Lakers' injured star guard, who stepped between Redick and Vanderbilt during the incident.

Nate McMillan

The Lakers' assistant coach, who held Vanderbilt back during the exchange.

Greg St. Jean

The Lakers' assistant coach, who was using the whiteboard with Redick when the incident occurred.

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What they’re saying

“A confluence of things. Again, it's nothing personal with him. Normal stuff from my end. I think for all of us, being undermanned, we've got to scrap and claw, we've got to all be on the same page, We got to be great teammates, we got to all play hard. Called a timeout to get him out of the game. And he reacted, but again, normal interaction for me.”

— JJ Redick, Lakers Head Coach

What’s next

The Lakers will look to bounce back from the blowout loss when they face the Thunder again on Thursday.

The takeaway

The heated exchange between Redick and Vanderbilt underscores the Lakers' struggles this season as they continue to search for the right mix of players who are fully committed to the team's fight to turn things around.