The debate over the skill levels of basketball players from the old era compared to those of the new era is an ongoing discussion. Recently, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards sparked controversy by stating that Michael Jordan was the only player with exceptional skills in his time. This topic was reignited when Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick weighed in on the same issue.
Redick noted that players from the 1990s might not have the same skill set as those in the current NBA. His comments emphasize a significant evolution in player development and playing style over the years. However, former NBA player Tim Hardaway Sr. took issue with Redick’s remarks, criticizing him for disrespecting the players of the 1990s.
“JJ Redick, he said that he was mediocre; I don’t even know what he said, but, man, please, he couldn’t even play back then. In the park district, we wouldn’t have him playing back then. We wouldn’t even have them in the court. He could only dribble; that’s all he could do—dribble. I mean, the only thing he could do is shoot; he couldn’t even dribble the basketball, man.” Hardaway said in a recent episode of the podcast “Come and Talk 2 Me.”
As Hardaway played most of his seasons in the 90s, he strongly criticized Reddick, pointing out that the Lakers’ head coach evidently lacked dribbling skills throughout his professional playing days.
Hardaway Critiques Redick For Discussing An Era He Never Played In
The Orlando Magic drafted Redick with the 11th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. In a recent episode of the “Come and Talk 2 Me” podcast, Hardaway elaborated on his criticism of Redick. He stated that since Redick did not play in the 1990s, he should refrain from commenting on players from that era.
“It irked me when nobody ever played in that era. How are you going to talk about that era? So you can’t talk about that era; you never being in the physicality that we’ve been in. You never grew up how we grew up; you never went through the things that we grew up, doing what we endured when we were growing up… A lot of guys were athletic; you telling me Dominique Wilkins wasn’t athletic; of course, Michael Jordan, there were a lot of guys that were athletic and could play.” Hardaway said.
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On June 24, 2024, Redick was officially named the 29th head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Under his leadership, the Lakers currently have 11 wins and seven losses in the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
Also Read: JJ Redick Shares His Thoughts On LeBron James’ “Insane” Fourth Quarter Performance Against The Kings
