There’s no love lost between JJ Redick and an entire generation of basketball players.
Of course, the ESPN NBA analyst and co-host of The Old Man and the Three podcast has brought it upon himself by recently suggesting that the league was watered down during Michael Jordan’s prime. But that also isn’t seemingly a new opinion from Redick himself.
And while Redick shrugged off concerns about being seen as arrogant, he recently shared his views on the ’90s era of the NBA on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq. His remarks didn’t particularly go over well, with Phoenix Suns announcer Eddie Johnson taking aim at the 39-year-old 2006–21, who played across 15 seasons in The Association:
“I refuse to get into the G.O.A.T debate. I don’t f****** care. They didn’t play against each other. What makes (LeBron James) great is the fact he’s done it now for 21 years at the highest level. Yeah, LeBron’s never 35 in a year. Guess what? He’s averaged 25 or more for 20 straight years. We’re f****** nit picking. A lot of times we’re comparing eras. Like, I’ll say this with Michael Jordan — and I don’t mean this to be controversial. Michael Jordan during his heyday, six-teams were added to the NBA. There were 90 players added to the NBA. Does that not water down? I’m not talking playoffs, by the way. No f****** chance we talking playoffs. You’re not telling me that the league — for a little bit — is going to be a little watered down?”
JJ Redick says the league was a little watered down during Michael Jordan’s prime
(🎥 @bigpodwithshaq / https://t.co/YUziIOAFb9) pic.twitter.com/DytAKbmfyA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 30, 2024
Johnson, who played 17 years in the NBA and has served as the Suns’ color analyst since 2003, took great issue with Redick’s comments, including the current generation’s overreliance on analytics in basketball.
“So says a guy who was 6 years old when the 90’s started! We would have tested your manhood quickly! If anything, you would have been relegated to serving water to the veterans until you manned up,” Johnson wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Analytic brain would have ran you out of the league in the 90’s.”
Redick didn’t think much of Johnson’s argument.
Ok champ
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) May 5, 2024
Johnson clarifies his position — he only engages with Redick when Redick uses eras as arguments. While Johnson believes LeBron is the greatest all-around player of all time, he doesn’t feel like he needs to demean Jordan’s scoring prowess or his era to prop up LeBron.
The only time I respond is when you reach back to an era with criticism to justify your point. I happen to think LBJ is the best all around player ever, but I am not saying it’s because the most maniacal & best scorer ever, MJ played in a watered down league to justify it!
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) May 5, 2024
Here’s more from their back-and-forth:
Really, you need to go back when I called your games, calling you a tremendous shooter and fundamentally as sound as any in the league.
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) May 5, 2024
I’m glad you’ve taken that responsibility of feeling like it’s on your watch. Keep it up!
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) May 5, 2024
It seems like we’ll only continue to walk in circles with this argument. Redick isn’t going to change how he feels about a watered-down version of an era he didn’t play in, and former players from that era will continue to argue that Redick wasn’t tough enough to play in that particular era.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
[Eddie Johnson on X]
