Former NBA player and current ESPN NBA analyst JJ Redick has been extremely memorable thus far in his young media career.
The 15-year NBA veteran has been adamant about defending the current brand of basketball, while fellow First Take co-hosts Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Stephen A. Smith have been uber critical of the current product.
This dates back to Redick saying that former Boston Celtics Hall of Fame guard Bob Cousy played against “firemen and plumbers,” which Russo disagreed with vehemently.
Wednesday’s Get Up show focused on the 1980s and 1990s era of basketball, which many old-school basketball fans appreciate far more than today’s game. Redick discussed how he believes that the romanticization of the 80s and 90s negatively affects basketball nowadays.
“This nostalgia that you guys have for the 1980s and 90′, which was awesome, is at the expense of our generation of players, and it has been for the last 15 years,” said Redick. “That is annoying, Stephen A.”
Mike Greenburg then added that it is the constant complaining and fishing for calls that are “ruining” today’s era of basketball, to which Redick responded by saying that every era of basketball had players doing that.
“The standard that you guys have set. The nostalgic standard of the ’80s and ’90s, and then comparing that to us all the time,” said Redick. “Like we are a substandard to that. It gets annoying. A lot of your arguments like complaining to the officials, that is the same thing players did back then. If you want to watch NBA Finals games that are 75-72, have your nostalgic era, please.”
These comments have certainly gotten the NBA world talking, with many applauding Redick for his supportive stance around the current era of players.
This is far from the first time that Redick has gone at one of his co-hosts during a debate. He previously roasted Russo for his take regarding Draymond Green, who should “shut up and play.”
It is a reminder that as former NBA players continue to take media roles like this, they will be more and more vocal about things that put down the era that they played in.
[Get Up ESPN, AA]
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.