Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick and U.S. men's national soccer team coach Mauricio Pochettino met Wednesday at SoFi Stadium, exchanging signed jerseys ahead of the team's World Cup group-stage game against Turkey.
The encounter took place prior to Pochettino's news conference. The two coaches shared a brief conversation, during which Pochettino learned it was Redick's birthday. He also noted that it was the birthday of soccer legend Lionel Messi and U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner.
"It was his birthday and Leo Messi’s birthday, so happy birthday to everyone," Pochettino said. "We were talking about how nice the stadium is. He said he was proud of the job the USA is doing. We talked about the NBA draft. I asked him if he was coming to the game tomorrow, and he said unfortunately no, he had other plans with his wife. It was nice to meet him; we were friendly, and we had a nice conversation."
Redick's presence at the stadium came as the Lakers are actively involved in the 2026 NBA Draft. The team recently made a trade with the Knicks to acquire Cameron Carr in the first round and completed another deal with the Bulls to move into the second round.
Despite Redick's inability to attend the match, he is expected to follow the U.S. team's result. The June 25th game against Turkey holds no bearing on the U.S. team's World Cup standing, as they have already secured advancement to the Round of 32 by winning their first two group-stage games. The team aims to maintain its current winning momentum.