It’s been a busy few days for ESPN’s JJ Redick. The former Duke legend signed on to join Hall of Famers Mike Breen and Doris Burke on the broadcast team for the 2024 NBA Finals. Redick extended his gratitude to the network for making that decision when they did. Days later, Redick’s gotten busy again. This time, though, under a different set of circumstances.
Earlier Tuesday, Redick joined ESPN’s First Take. While there, Redick, Stephen A. Smith, and Shannon Sharpe volleyed about whether the Boston Celtics were the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Doc Rivers, who Redick will replace on commentary this upcoming Spring, is now the coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. Redick didn’t shy away from how he felt about Rivers’ coaching prowess and how often excuses tend to come from him. Recently, Rivers expressed that if it were up to him, he’d have wanted to take them over mid-season, specifically around the All-Star Break.
Redick expressed he wasn’t a fan of the excuse-making.
“No one’s gonna react to Doc’s audio there?” Redick said.
He passionately expressed that and more.
“I’ve seen the trend now. I’ve seen the trend for years. The trend is always making excuses,” Redick said. “Doc, we get it; taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard… It’s hard. We get it. Just like getting traded in the middle of the season is hard for a player. We get it. But it’s always an excuse. It’s always throwing your team under the bus.
“They lose to Memphis. ‘Oh, it’s his players’ fault.’ Memphis was playing G League guys and two-way guys. Then you look at his quotes over the weekend. Now he wants to take credit for the James Harden trade to the Clippers working out? He wants credit for that? There’s never accountability with that guy. There’s never accountability.”
After those comments flew around the internet, NBA players took notice. In this case, namely veteran guard Patrick Beverley.
Beverley didn’t care for what Redick had to say about his former peer.
“This Man Doc actually saved your career,” Beverley said on X. “Started you when no one else wanted 2. And u retire, go on TV, and say that,” he added, mentioning Redick by his handle in the message.
Not too long after, Redick readied a response.
“Pat, my guy, I had a four-year offer with a player option for the same money to be a starter for a different team. FOH ‘saved my career,'” Redick replied.
Beverley is yet to respond to Redick as of now.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022