Charles Barkley Calls Out ‘Sensitive’ JJ Redick After Awkward Press Conference Moment

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was not too pleased to be asked about his substitution plans ahead of Game 5 of his team’s first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

Redick has received a lot of criticism for his decision to play the same five players for the entirety of the second half in Game 4, which the Lakers ultimately lost. On Wednesday, Redick was asked if he planned to lean on his assistants regarding potential substitutes in Game 5. The Lakers coach took clear offense to the question.

"Are you saying that because I'm inexperienced and that was an inexperienced decision that I made?" Redick asked. "You think I don't talk to my assistants about substitutions every single timeout?"

Speaking on TNT’s Inside the NBA before tip off of Game 5, Charles Barkley addressed Redick’s response, and while he understood Redick’s frustration, he admonished the head coach for his reaction.

"He's just a little sensitive," Barkley said. "One of the things people say, ‘We never watch television’—we all lie. All jocks watch television. He’s been getting criticized for the last 48 hours for playing those guys, and he’s just sensitive."

Barkley then broke down how he believed Redick could have handled the situation better.

"Everybody’s afraid to say, ‘I was wrong,'" Barkley said. "All he had to do was say, ‘You know what, I shouldn’t have played those guys the whole second half,’ and that’s it. Then it would have been over."

"He's just sensitive...Everybody's afraid to say 'I was wrong.' All he had to do was say, 'I shouldn't have played those guys the whole second half and that's it.' Then it would have been over."

Charles Barkley reacts to JJ Redick's press conference. https://t.co/RMwVAO38EK pic.twitter.com/OkmTx41cKp
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 1, 2025

Redick got a bit more support from Kenny Smith on the TNT panel, who argued the reporter was “jabbing” at the Lakers coach.

While Redick might be tired of addressing his decision to ride the same five players for the entire second half, unless the Lakers can come back from a 3–1 series deficit to the Wolves, he’s going to have plenty more frustrating questions to answer.