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JJ Redick's comments on players from the '50s and the '60s resurfaced after Jerry West, a prominent figure from that era, responded to Redick.
Redick engaged in a debate with Chris Russo about point guards. Russo put Bob Cousy over Chris Paul, Redick's former teammate, on his greatest point guard list. Redick responded by claiming that Cousy couldn't dribble with his left hand and that players from that era were "plumbers and firemen."
Jerry West appeared as a guest on SiriusXM NBA Radio and responded to JJ's remarks on players from the '50s and the '60s, stating:
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"I know JJ just a little bit, a very smart kid and everything. But tell me what his career looked like. What did he do that determined games? He averaged 12 points a game in the league."
JJ Redick came into the league as a decorated college basketball player. Redick won the Rupp Trophy twice and was named the National College Player of the Year in 2006. He was also named ACC Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
The Orlando Magic drafted Redick 11th overall. He spent his career as a three-point specialist. He averaged 12.8/2/2 in his NBA career.
West used Redick's career as a role player to continue his rebuttal, saying:
"Somewhere along the way, numbers count. At that point in time, the players aren't what they used to be. JJ certainly wasn't gonna guard the elite players.
"And so you can nitpick anyone and the only reason I'm talking about him is because he was not an elite player. He was a very good player, but he had a place on a team because of his ability to shoot the ball."
r/NBA sent in some strong reactions to West's comments.
Jerry West and JJ Redick might be right in their own places, but comparison across eras is complicated
Fifty years ago, NBA athletes weren't nearly as well paid as today. The general fitness and competition were nowhere near where it is right now.
While Redick's comments might hold true in some instances, relegating the vast majority of NBA players to a group of "plumbers and firemen" is a clear exaggeration.
