From: officialflagrant
JJ Redick’s journey from a professional NBA player to a prominent sports analyst involved navigating personal challenges, leveraging his deep understanding of basketball, and adapting to the demands of media.
From Player to Analyst: A New Identity
Retirement for an athlete can be a “death” of identity, a feeling Redick experienced after his NBA career concluded [02:05:27]. His therapist helped him articulate what he loved about playing: competition, performance anxiety, and collaboration within a team [02:06:01]. He later realized a fourth crucial element was leadership [02:06:16]. These elements inform his current role as an analyst and his potential future in coaching [02:06:23].
College Foundations: Scrutiny and Self-Discovery
Redick’s college experience at Duke, where he was arguably the most famous non-NBA player globally [00:13:40], profoundly shaped him. He faced intense scrutiny, often receiving targeted and offensive heckles, including threats against his family [00:09:10]. Despite the pressure, he rarely “melted,” instead feeling motivated to perform [00:19:44].
Overcoming Adversity
- Heckles and Humor: One memorable heckle involved students with t-shirts saying, “When I grew up I want to name my kid JJ Redick,” only for them to turn around and reveal, “and beat him every day” [00:20:06]. Redick found this clever and even asked for a t-shirt [00:32:00].
- Racism in Sports: Redick and the interviewer humorously touch on the perception of white athletes in basketball. Redick notes that when he wrote rap songs in college, they were called “poetry,” implying a racial bias in how artistic expression is perceived [00:43:08]. He later jokes that Stephen A Smith once accused him of contributing to racism by laughing at his rap lyrics [00:54:19].
- Mental Fortitude: The constant pressure at Duke, including being “tested every single day” for everything from his body language to chewing gum, prepared him for the NBA, making it “easier” by comparison [02:03:36]. This period of intense scrutiny led him to see a therapist weekly for three years at Duke, helping him deal with insecurity rather than just confidence [02:07:07].
NBA Career: Evolution and Adaptation
Redick did not initially expect a long NBA career, even starting to learn Italian his senior year in case he played overseas [02:07:24]. He aimed to be a role player, not a star [02:07:34].
Work Ethic and Growth
Redick attributes his longevity and success to continuous improvement. A conversation with Steve Nash, who improved in his 30s, inspired Redick to make his training “shorter and harder” focusing on efficient, game-speed reps [02:12:00]. This intense approach to off-season workouts built his cardio and allowed him to maintain a high level of play [02:12:54].
Understanding the Game
Redick discusses various technical aspects of basketball:
- “Getting Hot” / Flow State: He confirms “getting hot” is real, describing it as a “flow state” where there’s “no thinking,” just “perfect muscle memory” [03:19:19]. This contrasts with earlier analytics that suggested no such phenomenon existed, a theory he disproved in his senior stats project [03:22:12].
- Athleticism Beyond Speed: He defines basketball athleticism beyond just vertical and linear speed, including change of direction, balance, coordination, change of pace, strength, pliability, reflexes, stamina, and cognitive aspects like pattern recognition and spatial awareness [03:50:09]. He uses Luka Dončić as an example of a player with exceptional “breaks” (deceleration) who doesn’t rely on immediate acceleration [03:59:00].
- Player Scouting Reports: Redick explains how some players, like Luka Dončić and Jalen Brunson, “defy breakdown” due to their versatile skill sets, making it hard to create a simple scouting report [03:11:09].
- Shot Compensation: After a shoulder injury in 2016, Redick developed a compensatory shooting form where his shoulder would rise. Despite this, he maintained his shooting efficiency, even making some “pure” shots [03:10:10].
- Memory (Recall): Redick possesses an exceptional memory for past plays, a trait he shares with many NBA players, including LeBron James [01:13:09]. While useful, he notes it can be a “not a good thing” as it constantly reminds him of missed opportunities [01:16:03].
The Analyst Role: Insight and Communication
Redick is praised for changing the way basketball is analyzed [01:33:32]. His transition into sports commentary and news is driven by a desire to “fill a void” rather than change the industry [01:39:49], believing that there’s a place for both in-depth analysis and entertaining “hot takes” [01:42:19].
Challenges of Live Commentary
Calling games live is the “hardest thing” for Redick [01:19:12] because, unlike studio shows like First Take where topics are known in advance [01:19:17], a game’s events are unpredictable [01:19:46]. He must constantly provide fresh insights without being repetitive and avoid “overtalking” (laying out) during crucial moments [01:22:49]. His responsibility as a color commentator is to provide “insight to basketball” [01:21:55].
Managing Relationships and Opinions
Redick maintains good relationships with former players and coaches, resolving disagreements directly [01:24:01]. He has had fiery exchanges with coaches during his playing career, including a Milwaukee coach and Brendan O’Connor, but regrets the tone, not the substance, of his remarks [01:57:02]. He also expresses regret over the “personal” tone of a public disagreement with Doc Rivers [02:04:30].
Coaching Aspirations and Future
Redick is interested in coaching, viewing it as a way to fulfill his desire for competition, performance, collaboration, and leadership [02:06:23]. He admires Coach K’s ability to motivate players uniquely based on their character [01:54:40]. He notes that Coach K once told him he “wasn’t worthy of being a champion” after a difficult sophomore year, a statement that “crushed” him but ultimately changed his life [01:54:11].
Redick highlights the consistent leadership of former teammates like Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson, who fostered team chemistry and work ethic [02:01:01]. He values consistency in a leader, citing Jimmy Butler’s comment that he was “the same guy every day” as the “best compliment” he ever received as a player [02:02:37].
While acknowledging his current work fills his plate, Redick sees coaching as a matter of “timing and situation” [02:06:29]. He expresses a desire to coach Luka Dončić, a player whose game he deeply respects [02:08:48]. His career reflections indicate a continuous pursuit of growth and excellence, whether on the court or in the broadcast booth.