The Lakers have officially announced JJ Redick’s coaching staff. Among the diversity of names on the new list, let’s just take a quick look at the men and ‘woman’ who will be responsible for rewriting Purple & Gold’s forgettable 2023-24 narrative. Nate McMillan, Scott Brooks, Bob Beyer, Greg St. Jean, Lindsey Harding, and Beau Levesque join JJ as assistant coaches while Michael Wexler was named the head video coordinator.
For this story, we’ll focus on none other than the first woman to be named the G League Coach of the Year – Lindsey Harding. By now, everyone is aware that the ex-Stockton Kings head coach has an impressive resume. From her playing years to her coaching days, Harding has been a trailblazer. And it includes a few firsts too.
Lindsey Harding – Breaking barriers at every step of the way
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
We already saw that she was the first woman to receive the Dennis Johnson trophy (G League COTY award – named after the late Hall of Famer and Celtics legend, Dennis Johnson). But it was a double honor. That’s because it was also the first time a Black woman received the recognition. Not to mention, she was the first woman to be the head coach of a G League team! However, this wasn’t her first, first.
Do you think Lindsey Harding will make a significant impact on the Lakers’ coaching staff?
Have an interesting take?
Before this, during her international coaching stint, Lindsey Harding took on the duties of leading South Sudan’s first-ever senior women’s national basketball team. In the process, she became South Sudan’s first-ever women’s basketball head coach. If we were to go a little further back in time, more specifically, her WNBA days, we would find a ‘first’ there, as well after Phoneix Mercury drafted her as the No. 1 pick in 2007.
