Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not mince words ahead of his team’s Western Conference semifinal series, labeling the Oklahoma City Thunder “one of the greatest teams ever” after practice on Sunday.
The Lakers advanced by defeating the Houston Rockets in six games despite being without Luka Doncic for the entire series and missing Austin Reaves until Games 5 and 6. Their reward is a matchup with an Oklahoma City squad favored to repeat as NBA champions.
“We saw a stat in our morning meeting,” Redick said. “Teams with back-to-back seasons posting a net rating 10 points or better—you’re talking about the ’95-’96 Bulls, the ’96-’97 Bulls, and the 2015-17 Warriors. Two of the greatest teams of all time. The Thunder are right there. They’re that good.”
Oklahoma City, led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round and will be fully rested when Game 1 tips off Tuesday. On paper, the Thunder show “almost no weaknesses,” Redick noted.
While oddsmakers list the Lakers as heavy underdogs, Redick credited his group’s resilience throughout the 2025-26 campaign. “Every level you go up in the playoffs, it gets harder. We’ve talked for three weeks about elevating, and we have to elevate even more,” he said.
The Lakers and Thunder open their best-of-seven series Tuesday night. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. PT at Paycom Center.
Source: LakersNation.com
