Colin Cowherd, LeBron James, JJ Redick trade barbs over backwards hat theory

Colin Cowherd does not run an NBA team. But if he did, the longtime "Herd" host would have one major requirement for his head coach or star player — no backwards hats.

As longtime "Herd" listeners are likely aware, Cowherd believes it is a major red flag when backwards hats are worn in certain public settings. He has long disapproved of when NFL quarterbacks do so at midweek press conferences, calling out San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Brock Purdy for doing so last season.

He also believes it's a bad look for aspiring NBA coaches like JJ Redick, the former NBA player and current broadcaster who has been connected in reports to the now-vacant Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job.

After Redick wore a backwards hat for the latest taping of "Mind The Game", the basketball deep-dive podcast he hosts with Lakers star LeBron James in which James recounted the Lakers' first-round series loss to the Denver Nuggets, Cowherd called him out on Tuesday's airing of "The Herd."

"I didn't hear a word LeBron said," Cowherd told co-host Jason McIntyre after a clip from the podcast episode played.

"I couldn't stop staring at the hat. JJ Redick is going for NBA head coaching jobs. He looks like a guy that's gonna move my couch. Didn't like it. I would tell JJ to his face, like, 'Dude, you're gonna be an executive in this league. You're going to be a high-level executive or coach. … I don't like that look at all.'"

Cowherd did make it clear that he respects Redick immensely — which he cited as all the more reason to encourage the former shooting guard to at least flip his hat around.

"He's one of the most cerebral guys in the world talking basketball, literally," Cowherd said. "He's so layered. He's like a Christopher Nolan in Hollywood,