JJ Redick has become a fan favorite at ESPN and, in particular, on First Take.
It’s because not only is he here to deliver accurate and insightful analysis on the game itself, but he’s also constantly giving us insight into what players think and feel as someone who just recently removed himself from the NBA.
And he’s also not afraid to call you out. At all.
He did it with Stephen A. Smith when he said something Redick didn’t like about LeBron James. On the flip side, he also called out Zion Williamson for being a “detached teammate” after the CJ McCollum trade. If there’s something Redick doesn’t like or a narrative that needs to be nipped in the bud, he’s on it.
That’s why he was so swift in his defense of Draymond Green on First Take after Chris Russo essentially said the Warriors forward should just shut up and play ball.
The debate started about Green flipping off Grizzlies fans after they booed him when he was elbowed in the face and bleeding on the court. Green had a lot to say about that moment in the postgame press conference.
Russo seemed to be annoyed by that on First Take. He said there were lots of people who don’t really care what Green has to say and that he should just stick to playing basketball.
“I’ll give you a large segment of older fans who have followed the NBA for 60 years,” he said. “This is not a political situation or a race situation.”
“People on Fox News talk about athletes that way.”
— Former NBA player @jj_redick snaps at sportscaster Chris Russo after he says Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green should be quiet and play. pic.twitter.com/EgRqLHXEAt
— The Recount (@therecount) May 4, 2022
JJ Redick was not having it. None of it, y’all.
“I disagree with you on that. I’m not saying it’s a race situation. What I’m saying is the fans you’re talking about, they talk about athletes that way like you just talked about an athlete. The people on Fox News talk about athletes that way. That’s my issue. I don’t actually care about the fans that watched Bob Cousy play or watched Wilt play. I appreciate that they’ve been fans for that long, but I don’t appreciate the undertones.”
Redick has a point, honestly. We’ve seen this happen so many times over the years where athletes aren’t treated as humans who are allowed to feel things. It’s the same sentiment Fox News host Laura Ingraham had for LeBron James all those years ago when she told him to just shut up and dribble.
Russo says this isn’t a thing about race, but the racist undertones attached to that feeling are undeniable. It’s essentially telling an athlete — another human being — to stay in their place.
Plain and simple, that’s wrong. Redick was not having that. And good on him for it.
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