Former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick has become one of the most opinionated NBA analysts at ESPN. The former Duke Blue Devils star hasn’t been shy about how he feels and he isn’t one to back down from a little debate fisticuffs. Redick has been on the end of some real knock-down-drag-out debates with fellow analyst Kendrick Perkins and others, and each time he sticks to his guns no matter how much the other may raise his voice.
Redick is also the host of a pretty popular podcast called “The Old Man and the Three,” which has guests from the NBA and other sports as well. During a recent episode with former three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, Redick told the story of how he got ejected while coaching a youth basketball game.
Non-Travel Call During 8/9-Year-Old Game Gets Redick Tossed
Redick, who is the coach of his son’s youth basketball team, told Crawford the story of being sent to the showers early for arguing a travel call.
“Tightly contested contest. Last four minutes … we were down one,” Redick began. “A kid on the other team caught the ball and he shuffled his feet, got a running start, and then dribbled. One of my kids had just been called for travel, which I didn’t think was a travel by the rule book. I said to the ref, ‘Are you seriously not going to call a travel when you just called a travel on one of my kids?’ And he T’d me up.”
Redick says he continued to push for an explanation, but to no avail. He then says he was ejected by the referee.
“As I’m walking away, I just gave my sarcastic ‘Are you serious?’ He tossed me for that.”
To hear Redick say he was ejected from a youth sporting event for asking about a call is comical. It also seems as if the referee wasn’t in the mood, and gave him a pretty quick hook. No matter how you slice it, it’s pretty hilarious, to say the least.
Ref Apologizes After Game
Following the game the referee said he didn’t realize he’d just tossed out a former NBA player he probably sees on television quite regularly. He apologized for doing so, and Redick says he wasn’t upset about the ejection.
“I’m not JJ Redick on the sidelines, I’m just a dad,” Redick said.
But Redick also went on record with a Twitter video where he said, “I stand by my actions.”
