NBA veteran JJ Redick is not buying the whole “reverse racism” claims after the Luka Doncic-Montrezl Harrell feud during the first-round series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Appearing as a guest on the All The Smoke podcast hosted by Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, the 36-year-old guard claimed that Harrell’s quip to Doncic was just some good, old-fashioned trash talk with no intended racial undertones.
“I’m a white guy playing a black guy’s sport. That’s just the reality. There’s nothing racist about that. Majority of great players in the NBA are black,” Redick said.
“Being called a bitch-ass white boy was something I’ve heard when I was 12 or 13. I laughed when Montrezl said it. I thought it was hilarious.”
The Doncic-Harrell feud, of course, occurred at the height of the NBA’s vocal support to the Black Lives Matter Movement. Critics of the BLM quickly called out the league for its supposed double-standard — considering it was an African-American who was taunting a white fellow.
Redick, however, acknowledged that the controversy started simply because of the timing.
“But I also get that we are in a time where everything is exposed and every little thing that is said is so raw and the emotions are so high. You take out the timing, I don’t think it’s big of a deal,” the New Orleans Pelicans sharpshooter furthered.
“I just don’t think that’s reverse racism. I don’t think that exists.”
Here’s the full clip of JJ’s take.
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1312086438213754884
Montrezl Harrell and Luka Doncic, meanwhile, have mended fences since that unfortunate incident and even hugged it out the in the next game.
JJ Redick, on the other hand, has certainly been vocal about societal issues. It’s nice to see a person of his stature not use the race card on this one.
The Duke legend missed the playoffs for the first time in his NBA career this season after the Pelicans failed to secure that eighth and final seed in the West. Redick has been keeping himself busy with his own podcast called “The Old Man and the Three”.
Follow Us
Subscribe