JJ Redick has quickly become a rising star over at ESPN. Overall, people love him for the analysis that he has brought to First Take. Although Stephen A. Smith can be a lot to deal with, he has managed to navigate that relationship quite well. Sure, these two are constantly arguing with one another, however, it makes for great TV. The fans know that Redick played the game at the highest level, while Smith is simply a reporter. That said, most fans tend to side with Redick whenever there is a disagreement.
However, there are times when JJ Redick goes a bit too far and has NBA fans calling him a bit of an elitist. We saw that exact phenomenon happen this morning as Redick was talking to Stephen A. Smith about LeBron’s potential retirement. During the segment, Redick wasn’t fond of how Smith was talking about LeBron’s aging. This led to Redick saying, “You didn’t play Stephen A. You don’t understand our athletic mortality. 3 games at, wherever, South Dakota, Winston-Salem State doesn’t count.” For many, this was a cheap shot.
Read More: JJ Redick Delivers Harsh Response To Stephen A. Smith
JJ Redick Retracts His Statement
JJ Redick apologized right after, shit was real LLLMMAAOOO pic.twitter.com/mwmjOrkpIw https://t.co/VtAlO5LRmu
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod
(@big_business_) May 23, 2023
Immediately after these comments, JJ Redick ended up offering an apology. Although Stephen A. Smith ended up playing it cool, many felt like he demanded an apology. After all, Smith pulls the strings over at ESPN and First Take in particular. He can end Redick’s career at ESPN in an instant and ultimately chose not to. Regardless, it made for some good TV that fans most certainly appreciated. Now, however, the discourse has shifted over to whether or not Redick is too much of an elitist. Ultimately, that Duke reputation is not boding well for him.
At this point, JJ Redick will have to be careful with how he moves on the show, moving forward. Otherwise, he could be taken off very soon. Regardless, he has his own platform, so he can make it without ESPN hovering over him like it’s 1984. Let us know what you thought of all of this, in the comment section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.
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