J.J. Redick is retiring after a memorable NBA career. The 37-year old guard leaves the game as one of the best three-point shooters in league history. There are plenty of teams in the NBA that could use the services of a historic sharpshooter like Redick. However, the 15-year veteran who had expressed a desire to stay close to his home in New York has decided to call it a career rather than taking one more shot at an NBA championship.
JJ Redick Retiring After 15 Seasons
Big Man On Campus
When reflecting on Redick’s career, one has to start with his historic run at Duke University. A 2002 McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit, Redick set the Virginia High School League record with 43 points in the Class 3A state championship game. This record would stand for 16 years until it was finally broken by Mac McClung in 2018. Rated the number 13 player in the nation, Redick came to campus with high expectations. Before long, he was exceeding them. In his freshman year, the young shooter led his team in scoring with 30 points in the ACC Championship game.
Redick’s star began to rise on the national stage during his junior season at Duke. He was named to the All-ACC first team, won the ACC player of the year award, was awarded the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy for national player of the year, and was a consensus first-team All-American. He repeated each of these accomplishments in his senior season as well.
Entering that senior season, Redick was the most hated player in sports. The mania surrounding him is something not often witnessed in the college game at a national level. Students at rival schools would prank call Redick dozens of times a game and he drew the ire of all opposing student sections on his way to another historic campaign. Redick was named the consensus national college player of the year in 2006. He finished his career as not only Duke’s all-time leading scorer but the all-time points leader for all of the ACC. Redick also set a single-season NCAA record for most three-pointers made in a career, making 457 shots on 40.4% shooting.
Early Years in the NBA
Heading into the 2006 NBA draft, a national debate swirled around which of college basketball’s two biggest stars would have the greater impact. Redick, seen as a villain for his role as the next big Duke star, was often compared to Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison. Although Morrison would retire a two-time NBA champion, Redick clearly had the better professional career.
Despite being the 11th overall pick in the draft, Redick didn’t see much playing time in his first few seasons with the Orlando Magic. This was mainly due to his lack of defensive prowess and a recurring bout with back spasms. Redick finally carved a niche for himself in the league during the 2010-11 season. He averaged 10.1 points per game, eclipsing the double-digit mark for the first time in an NBA season. He would maintain this average for the next 10 seasons.
Long Range Longevity
Redick was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Tobias Harris and a number of other players during the 2012-13 season but did not re-sign with the team the following offseason. Instead, he would sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Here Redick would get his first starting job in the league. He competed in the Three-Point Contest during the 2016 All-Star weekend and finished the 2016 season as the league leader in three-point field goal percentage with a mark of 47.5% for the year. Redick also set the franchise record for three-pointer made that season.
The now seasoned veteran would sign with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 offseason. He helped the 76ers get to the playoffs in both of his seasons with the team. In 2018, Redick was moved to the bench for the first time since 2013. He still managed to break Kyle Korver’s franchise record with 240 shots made from beyond the arc that season. Redick signed with the New Orleans Pelicans before the 2019-2020 season. The Pelicans struggled in the pandemic-shortened season and Redick missed the playoffs for the first time in his career that year. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020-21 campaign, a move he clearly didn’t appreciate. Redick was vocal with his displeasure of Pelicans general manager David Griffin. Hampered by a heel injury, Redick did not contribute much to the Mavericks playoff run and in fact, did not see any playing time in last year’s postseason.
JJ Redick Retiring – What’s Next?
Redick expressed a desire to stay close to his home and family in New York this offseason. He already has a path laid out for him as a TV analyst or basketball commentator. His YouTube Channel has 281K subscribers and he is the co-host of the Old Man and the Three podcast. His success and connections throughout the basketball world mean he could likely land a coaching job sometime in the near future. The nearby Brooklyn Nets have a coaching staff that is full of former players. Perhaps he could help Joe Harris take his game to the next level.
Redick says goodbye to the NBA after 15 seasons. He finished his career 15th all-time in three-pointers made.
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