JJ Redick will always be remembered as one of the purest shooters of all time. That, along with phenomenal basketball IQ, kept him competing at the highest level for 17 years, and his situational awareness allowed him to seamlessly fit into any basketball system in the world.
The Los Angeles Lakers head coach proved that twice over the course of his career. As a member of the Los Angeles Clippers , he navigated the racial crisis surrounding Donald Sterling. Then, toward the end of his playing career in the 2020 Orlando Bubble, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his African American teammates who were going through hell following the tragic murder of George Floyd.
"Let me just say that I'm so fortunate that I found basketball or basketball found me because what it has done, it has opened my eyes, it has exposed me to different things, different environments, different situations, and certainly different people. And, like, we lived in the sticks, man. Like, I didn't have a neighbor," Redick stressed on "The Pivot Podcast."
"Think about this. I didn't have a neighbor till I was a rookie in the NBA, in Orlando. We lived in the sticks. Every house we ever had was just in the sticks, right? I was homeschooled. We were in these little church groups, in these little tiny bubbles."
Redick developed his game in Cave Spring before ultimately putting himself on the map at Duke, where he became a college sensation and established himself as one of the top white players of his generation.
During his college days, there was even a rumor that many locker-room members didn't like his cocky style and the way he carried himself, but Redick was always a perfect teammate and someone other guys have nothing but praise for.
Standing by his African American teammates during two such major crises was simply the final confirmation of that, and he himself doesn't hide how grateful he is to basketball for opening his eyes.
"When 2020 happens, there wasn't a choice, right? There wasn't a choice. It wasn't about how it would look if I took one side or the other," he added. "There wasn't a choice. It was the right thing to do."
" Dude, I was so proud to be a part of the NBA during that time," Redick continued. "And was it divisive at a level? Yeah. But I'll stand by what we stood for. Going to the protests in New York City. Like, I'll stand by that. I don't regret any of that. It was the right thing to do. And it will be the right thing to do at another time. There's no, there's not a choice to be made."
It is phenomenal to hear Redick stand so firm in his convictions while giving a clear signal to the next generation through his perspective. Racism has unfortunately existed for a long time and continues to exist today, which is why individuals with Redick's platform are critical to society's progress.
Seeing this kind of movement from an elite white former athlete, and current head coach of arguably the biggest franchise in the world, marks a step forward for a league that has undoubtedly had its fair share of issues with racism, but is unquestionably moving in the right direction to eliminate the problem for good.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
