From shouting out Mark Daigneault on YouTube to being on the opposite sideline, JJ Redick has come a long way in just a handful of years. The Oklahoma City Thunder will face off against the Los Angeles Lakers in a Round 2 series in the 2026 NBA playoffs.

Both NBA head coaches had unconventional upbringings. Daigneault spent years discovering his voice as a head coach in the G League. Meanwhile, Redick took the ESPN media personality route first before diving into the highly prestigious job with zero coaching experience.

Now, the Thunder and Lakers will square off as two of the final eight teams. The Thunder enter the Round 2 series as the heavy favorite. The reigning NBA champions have sat atop the throne all year and look primed to go back-to-back. They completed another ho-hum Round 1 sweep over the Phoenix Suns.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are playing with house money — in a sense. They beat the Houston Rockets in their Round 1 matchup in six games. All without Luka Doncic, who remains out with a hamstring strain. Los Angeles enters as the underdog and with zero stress to win this one-sided matchup.

Daigneault has been impressed with Redick's coaching job. He's made the NBA playoffs both years. Now, he's won a playoff series without their MVP candidate. That's not something you can take for granted. LeBron James stepped up, but role players like Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard stepped up as the absolute-best version of themselves.

"I first got to know him when he was doing TV, because they'll do production meetings. So I've had sit-downs with him. I've enjoyed my time with him. I have kept in light contact with him since he got the job," Daigneault said. "But I think he's done an exceptional job in, obviously, a high-profile market, with a high-profile team. He's just put his head down and put his team in positions of advantage on both ends of the floor. He's done a great job navigating a lot of different situations. And I have high respect for his coaching."

The Thunder should come away with a Round 2 series win — especially if Doncic misses most of the playoff matchup. They've had the Lakers' number all year. But that doesn't necessarily mean that's how the series will play out. As we've seen with the Boston Celtics' Round 1 exit, playing the game on paper doesn't mean it'll automatically translate to the court.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Ahead of Lakers-Thunder series, Mark Daigneault shows JJ Redick respect