“How dare you tell fans they should just care about LeBron…wave a flag for LeBron all year!”- NBA Analyst goes off on JJ Redick after he said people should celebrate LeBron’s legacy this season instead of critiquing anything
JJ Redick wants fans to appreciate the greatness on the basketball court. With LeBron James' 20th season in the NBA currently underway, fans are anxious to see how he impacts the LA Lakers' form this season. It looks like it will be a big year for the legend as he and the Los Angeles Lakers fight to prove that they have what it takes to make a playoff run once again.
James is poised to break the longstanding regular-season scoring record currently held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. With the achievement in reach, all signs point to LeBron James breaking the record sooner rather than later. Given that he's on the cusp of breaking another NBA record so late in his career, NBA veteran JJ Redick feels as though fans should appreciate James' game rather than criticize it.
The way Rob Parker sees things, regardless of how old James is or how many records he's poised to break, he should still receive his fair share of criticism. He spoke on a recent episode of The Odd Couple alongside Chris Broussard about the 'worst take' of the season.
"JJ Redick, How dare you tell fans that they should just care about LeBron and that's what the season should be about. He sounds like a guy who's never bought tickets, who's never rooted for a team. It's about winning. It always is. If LeBron gets the record during the season, we'll give him his due, his day."
As if that wasn't enough, Parker went on to call upon Redick to quit his job. The way he sees things, if JJ Redick wants to be an 'enjoyer' rather than an analyst, he doesn't belong behind the desk.
"JJ, why don't you quit that job? Since you don't wanna critique the games and you don't wanna criticize the Lakers? Give up your job and go to the Lakers, get season tickets and applaud LeBron James the entire season.
"How dare you? People care about their teams, and you're telling them, after game one to throw the towel in to not care whether the Lakers win or lose."
Of course, this isn't the first time JJ Redick has found himself receiving backlash for his comments. As NBA fans may recall, after calling players from the 1950s plumbers, Redick received considerable backlash from players like Bob Cousy.
What did JJ Redick say about LeBron, Is the LA Lakers’ season doomed from the start?
Fans had mixed reactions to JJ Redick's comments regarding fans appreciating LeBron James in his 20th year rather than criticizing him. While some agreed that James has been subject to more than his fair share of criticism throughout his time in the league, others maintained that no amount of accolades absolves him of criticism.
Of course, with that being said, it's hard to ignore the fact that the Lakers' season got off to a rough start in Golden State this week. Despite impressive performances from Anthony Davis & Russell Westbrook, LeBron James & Patrick Beverley struggled during their time on the floor. The team as a whole struggled from the perimeter, shooting just 10 for 40 throughout the game.
Check out the highlights below and let us know what you think about the upcoming season for the Lakers in the comments!