Chemistry can come from anywhere, and for the Los Angeles Lakers, it came from the golf course. Head coach JJ Redick recently revealed that a surprising number of players have taken up golf over the past year, turning golf into a key part of the team's off-court bonding.
“It's funny because when I first got into the NBA, there were a lot of people playing golf, but no one was playing golf in a long time. I think after the bubble, it became more common as people started playing golf again,” Redick said, via Arash Makazi of The Sports Tribune. “I think for our team, we have three to five guys, at least three, I think this time last year there were five guys who had never played golf before. Brownie [James]Lucca [Doncic]lebron [James]dalton [Knecht]I think Jackson [Hayes] Start working on his game. It’s a great team bonding thing. For our team and Los Angeles, and I talked about this in a press conference recently, it's really hard in Los Angeles, and I've played here and I know, it's really hard to make connections in Los Angeles. You live in Manhattan Beach, you live in Calabasas, you live on the West Side, and so on. Sometimes you get to be away from your teammates for a few hours and find a tee time and be with each other for four hours where you can shoot the proverbial “shi,” whatever, and not have to be in a high-pressure moment or be on the team bus and be away from the facility, which I think is great.
I asked JJ Redick how golf has helped bring the Lakers together this season. pic.twitter.com/1rxEBS0bq9
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) March 29, 2026
That downtime has translated into meaningful things on the field.
The Lakers are currently in the midst of one of their best stretches in recent years, riding a nine-game winning streak, their longest since the 2019-20 championship season. Throughout March, the rhythm on both sides of the ball improved significantly, with improved ball movement, communication and defensive strength.
In this sense, golf has become more than just a hobby. It becomes a shared space where stars and role players can connect without the pressure of game situations, media scrutiny or a crowded arena.
With the Western Conference tight and the playoffs approaching, that connection could be crucial.
READ MORE: Doc Rivers points to injuries as Bucks' playoff streak ends
