"No, it never happened" - Lakers coach JJ Redick's camp refutes bombshell N-word allegation by Duke alum Halleemah Nash

The camp of newly appointed LA Lakers coach JJ Redick has refuted claims by a Duke alumna that he called her the N-word, asserting that the incident never occurred. The accusation surfaced a day after his inaugural press conference as Lakers coach.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Halleemah Nash, a Howard and Duke University alumna according to her bio, alleged that Redick had called her the N-word on Duke's campus.

“I’ve only been called the N-word to my face by a white man once in my life and it was on the campus of Duke University while I was doing work with the basketball team,” Nash said. “And today he was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.”

Redick’s representatives denied the claim in a statement to TMZ Sports.

"No, it never happened," said a spokesperson for Redick.

Nash did not provide further details about the incident other than it occurred on Duke's campus.

Halleemah Nash is the founder of Rosecrans Ventures, a company described as "an underrepresented talent solutions firm," emphasizing "diversity, inclusion and equity."

Looking at JJ Redick’s tenure at Duke

JJ Redick played for Duke for four seasons, from 2002-03 to 2005-06.

He received one National Player of the Year award (2006), two ACC Player of the Year awards (2005, 2006), two ACC Tournament MVPs (2005, 2006) and two All-American honors.

Redick's 2,769 points in college made him the all-time leading scorer in Duke history and the second-highest scorer in the ACC.

On February 4, 2007, Redick's No. 4 jersey was retired at Cameron Indoor Stadium, making him the 13th Duke player to receive this honor.

Despite Redick's achievements, the Blue Devils did not secure an NCAA championship during his tenure.

As a prominent figure in college basketball, Redick faced significant backlash from rival fans. According to Clay Travis of CBS Sports in 2007, he was labeled as the "most hated current athlete in America."

JJ Redick received numerous hate calls daily from opposing fans, which led him to consider quitting basketball during his sophomore year. He turned to writing poetry as a coping mechanism.

After his college career, Redick enjoyed a lengthy NBA tenure spanning 15 seasons, playing for the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks.

Upon retiring from playing, he transitioned into podcasting and broadcasting, eventually serving as an analyst for the 2024 NBA Finals.

Prior to his appointment as the Lakers’ 29th head coach in franchise history, JJ Redick co-launched a podcast titled "Mind the Game" with LeBron James.