Once upon a time, JJ Redick was broadcast colleagues at ESPN with Richard Jefferson and Ryan Ruocco.
Redick, Jefferson, and Ruocco were positioned as the network’s second team behind the lead triumvirate of Mike Breen, Doc Rivers, and Doris Burke at the beginning of the 2023-2024 NBA season. In fact, they were publicly positioned by ESPN as the lead broadcast team in waiting. Even though it was little more than a year ago, that seems like a looooooong time ago.
Since then, Rivers went into coaching with the Bucks, Redick joined the lead crew before leaving to coach the Lakers, and now Jefferson is one of many candidates to take Redick’s role that once belonged to Rivers. Got all that?
Well on Friday night in San Antonio, the short-lived trio had a reunion of sorts as Jefferson and Ruocco called JJ Redick’s Lakers playing against the Spurs. And coming out of halftime, the broadcast booth got to interview their former colleague, which led to some expert trolling on Redick’s part.
JJ Redick had jokes for his former broadcast partners at ESPN 🤣#EmiratesNBACup pic.twitter.com/55r48K708M
— NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2024
“There’s nothing I’d rather be doing less than talking to the two of you. I want everybody to know, I want to be very clear on this. I do not like these two gentlemen, I couldn’t even draw up my ATO coming out of the half because I had to do this,” Redick joked.
After the fun and games, Redick complimented Max Christie after his first half performance. And for the record, Austin Reaves made a three on the Lakers’ first possession coming out of the locker room, so whatever Redick did or didn’t have time to draw up must have worked.
The Lakers would go on to win a very entertaining 120-115 game over the Spurs and NBA fans got a little glimpse of the entertainment that could have been had JJ Redick, Richard Jefferson, and Ryan Ruocco had more than a cup of coffee together in the ESPN broadcast booth.