JJ Redick Wears A Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Batgirl’ on the Lakers’ Sideline

He was one of the early enthusiast-collectors in our world of nerdery back in the mid-aughts. The former Duke star turned NBA journeyman turned podcast maestro turned ESPN analyst turned – wait for it – head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, had a serious taste for all things horological for years…until he didn’t anymore. If you look back at photos of Redick in his Orlando and Milwaukee days, you’ll see watches from Vacheron to Journe. Deep cuts. Not the typical Rolex Day-Date fare. 

If you understand his fanatical personality now, his quick descent into watch madness makes sense in retrospect. You can also look at his Brooklyn apartment tour on Architectural Digest to get a feel for his sense of hyper-specificity in all things he does. It’s what makes him a basketball junkie, a wino, and it’s what made him a watch guy. But now we shouldn’t necessarily say made.

Image: The National Basketball Association

And that is because, in a shocking move (shocking for me at least), Redick emerged on the sidelines for the Los Angeles Lakers’ first game back after the All-Star Break with some wrist candy. No, it wasn’t a Journe, but rather a “normal by Redick standards” Rolex GMT-Master II with the blue and black bezel, sometimes colloquially referred to as the “Batgirl.”

Image: The National Basketball Association

I first spotted the Jubilee bracelet, and then the sharp, vivid blue of the bottom half of the bezel screamed from his wrist. The first game he wore it was on February 19 against the Charlotte Hornets – a loss. But that didn’t deter him. He brought the watch back out the very next night against the Portland Trailblazers where LeBron scored 40 points (he’s 40 years old btw). Perhaps now the watch is a lucky charm?

This whole scenario is very curious to me. Back in 2020 JJ tweeted that he was “watch less” having sold off his entire collection in 2017. He spent the past 8 years bare-wristed. And then suddenly, the Lakers pull off the most shocking trade perhaps in NBA history. The team is firmly back in the spotlight (ok, ok, the Lakers never really leave the spotlight), and Redick is watch-curious again.

Image: The National Basketball Association

He joins at least two coaches off the top of my head known to wear Rolex watches: Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks with his steel Submariner, and Nick Nurse of the Philadelphia 76ers with his gold Day-Date.

If his next phase in collecting is to become a one-watch guy, I am here for it. And as a fellow blue-black GMT owner (mine is on the Oyster), I applaud his choice. Either way, it is nice to see a former fellow nerd return to this crazy hobby once again. And even if this was a lark, and these two games are all we will get from Redick and the GMT – it was fun while it lasted.