LeBron James used an interesting phrase when describing his Los Angeles Lakers head coach J.J. Redick on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, but Redick clarified that he didn’t take insult to James calling him a “dickhead.”

“I took it as a compliment,” Redick said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

James referred to Redick as a “dickhead” when describing his passion for the game. James said both he and Redick love basketball so much that a loss tends to affect them more than others.

“He bleeds the game and he breathes the game of basketball every single day,” James said. “He’s one of those guys, kind of just like me. If we lose a game or we didn’t play up to par, there’s no such thing as sleeping at night. There’s no such thing as sleeping until the next game. … He’s a dickhead. And I love it.”

“The best thing about JJ is he’s just a great podcaster 😂😂

He bleeds the game and he breathes the game of basketball every single day of his life” @KingJames #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/oMbXuFAC4q

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 26, 2025

There are a lot of similarities between James and Redick, from their passion for the game to their basketball IQs. The two joined forces ahead of the 2024-25 season, and it has worked out well for them.

The Lakers overcame some early struggles but are now thriving. They’ve climbed up to fifth place in the Western Conference and are still very much in the mix for a top-three seed in the playoffs.