Yesteryear All-Star berates JJ Redick’s “plumbers” take on Jerry West era: “What if you had a job motherf**ker?“
Back in 2022, JJ Redick went on ESPN's "First Take" and debated with broadcast legends Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and Stephen A. Smith. As the discussion went further, little did he know that his comments would be a subject of discussion years later.
The discussion started when Mad Dog compared Chris Paul to NBA legend Bob Cousy. Redick disagreed with Russo's take that CP3 was not a transcendent player and berated Cousy's NBA era for being filled with part-time players.
“Well, he was being guarded by plumbers and firemen," said JJ Redick on Cousy's opponents.
This era also included Jerry West, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and had many battles with Cousy. Former LA Clippers point guard Baron Davis opened up the topic once again on Carmelo Anthony's podcast, defending the competition back then.
"He can't diss Jerry West and anybody in their era saying they were carpenters. 'Cause, what I you had a job motherf**ker, you wouldn't be in the league," said Davis.
Jerry West gets back at JJ Redick for his "plumbers and firemen" comments
JJ Redick's comments had many NBA legends buzzing. Jerry West was asked on ESPN Radio on the "plumbers and firemen" hot take and had some strong words on the former Orlando Magic guard.
“Tell me what his career looked like,” West said. “What did he do that determined games? He averaged 12 points a game in the league. JJ certainly wasn’t going to guard the elite players."
The former Duke Blue Devil has played 15 seasons in the NBA. From being a part of the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks, Redick has a career average of 12.8 points per game. His highest scoring average was back in the 2018-19 season where he contributed 18.1 points per night for the Sixers.
On the other hand, Jerry West is a basketball icon, and many call him "The Logo,'' as his image is said to be used in the NBA logo.
The words of Redick have triggered numerous players from the 1960s and '70s era, with Bob Cousy and Bob Pettit heavily disagreeing on his hot take about the competition back then.
Since then, JJ Redick has moved on to gain more traction in his post-basketball career as a TV and internet sports analyst. He now co-hosts the "Mind The Game" podcast with LeBron James.