{"id":115856,"date":"2025-01-03T13:02:32","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T18:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=115856"},"modified":"2025-01-03T13:02:32","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T18:02:32","slug":"dead-man-walking-charles-barkley-jj-redick-lakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/03\/dead-man-walking-charles-barkley-jj-redick-lakers\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Dead Man Walking&#8221;: Hall-of-Famer Rips into JJ Redick, Lakers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the many conversations circulating in NBA circles is the criticism around the product and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/why-nba-ratings-down-big-141500434.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sharp decline in ratings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Notable names have added their thoughts to the discourse, including\u2014more recently\u2014Lakers head coach JJ Redick. <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/redapples\/status\/1870111769097544026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Redick cited strategy, streaming and parity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as main reasons why league ratings are down and said in part:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t think we \u2026 as sort of the national partners have done a good job of storytelling, of celebrating the game. If I&#8217;m a casual fan and you tell me every time I turn on the television that the product sucks, well I&#8217;m not gonna watch the product. And that&#8217;s really what has happened over the last 10-15 years.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, Redick\u2019s comments have landed him in hot water with a Hall-of-Famer turned media personality.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>&#8220;Dead Man Walking&#8221;: Hall-of-Famer Rips into JJ Redick, Lakers<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Barkley\u2019s Reaction to Redick<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While reviewing first half highlights of the Timberwolves-Celtics game, the \u201cInside the NBA\u201d crew turned to discussing Redick\u2019s comments, prompting <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/barklch01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charles Barkley<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/charles-barkley-went-off-jj-redick-lakers-inside-the-nba-crew\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">attack both Redick and the Lakers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said something about we&#8217;re the reason people ain&#8217;t watching this crappy product we got. \u2026 Like we out there jacking up a hundred threes a night. JJ &#8230; I don&#8217;t know Jason Monroe, I don&#8217;t know who that is, but JJ, you come for the king, you better not miss. &#8216;Cause I can get you brother. &#8216;Cause remember I got your Lakers&#8217; games. You can&#8217;t hide them flaws they got. You just a dead man walking. They got rid of Frank Vogel who did a good job. They got rid of Darvin Ham who did a good job. If you came out there thinking you were going to change things with that same ugly girl you went on the date with\u2014the Lakers stink.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">holy shit charles barkley just went IN on JJ Redick\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QZZ94hTSJP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/QZZ94hTSJP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; KingCharge (@KingCharge) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KingCharge\/status\/1875015462498767060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The \u201cJason Monroe\u201d in question refers to Fox Sports host Jason McIntyre, who fired back at Barkley\u2019s comments in a post on X.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">one minute of highlights and NBA League Partner Barkley spends the entire time attacking JJ Redick and 3-pointers<\/p>\n<p>If your ringless king tells you the product sucks, why should you watch?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Jason Monroe <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fbwoBsPr6q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/fbwoBsPr6q<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jasonrmcintyre\/status\/1875025559799115878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And for what it\u2019s worth, the Lakers are looking solid in the new year, coming off of a narrow win over the Trail Blazers spearheaded by a <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LeBron James<\/span><\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/lakers\/news\/lakers-news-lebron-james-ties-michael-jordan-scoring-record-in-win-vs-blazers-01jgpdkq81wz\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">masterclass<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and a <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/chrisma02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Max Christie<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/03\/lebron-james-los-angeles-lakers-believe-max-christie\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">career-high<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Barkley Proving Redick Right<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Barkley\u2019s rant may have made for entertaining television, it also offered a prime example of what Redick and others have said over the last few weeks: league ratings are down, in part, because of harsh media analysis. It\u2019s also worth noting how Redick believes \u201cthis game should be celebrated\u201d instead of players and teams being torn down by broadcasters. Redick <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6008384\/2024\/12\/19\/jj-redick-lakers-lebron-james-tv-ratings\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">went onto say<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe league is more talented and skilled than it was 18 years ago when I was drafted. That\u2019s a fact. There are more players that are excellent. There are more teams that are excellent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI heard when I played for, I don\u2019t know four or five years, \u2018Well, why do we even play the regular season? We know who\u2019s going to be in the finals.\u2019 Well, guess what? We have parity now, and we\u2019re not celebrating parity. We\u2019re not celebrating the fact that the Western Conference is as loaded as it is.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s the lack of appreciation for the game replaced by the vitriol of certain analysts\u2019 voices that, according to fans, was on display in Barkley\u2019s remarks last night.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Barkley making JJ\u2019s whole point lol zero actual interest in the game in front of them. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TKQNzYWpti\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/TKQNzYWpti<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Raj C. (@RajChipalu) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RajChipalu\/status\/1875023595640090768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Also, funny as it was, Charles Barkley literally proved JJ Redick\u2019s point while spending an entire highlight of a good game between two contenders ignoring the game to piss on JJ and the Lakers while calling the NBA a \u201ccrappy product\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Will Negron (@HomeoftheThrill) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HomeoftheThrill\/status\/1875020002707042776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Discourse Will Continue, So Will Proposed Solutions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The discussion around the NBA\u2019s ratings will only grow in the wake of Barkley\u2019s comments, with no clear solution in sight. While fans and analysts have offered numerous fixes to increase the NBA\u2019s viewership, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5999945\/2024\/12\/19\/nba-lebron-james-ratings-adam-silver-michael-jordan-nba\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Athletic\u2019s Zach Harper<\/a> proposed a strategy that can seriously help the league: better marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFar too often, we\u2019re making a big deal out of things away from the court, rather than the things on the court. In some varying degrees, the league, media and fans are all guilty of this. The NBA struggles to market the great young stars and the teams worthy of your adoration. <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/lebron-james-dxRvkEThnxpMbhcr\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LeBron James<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/stephen-curry-toS7DgUD3IIt7uds\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Steph Curry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/kevin-durant-ho6h1sijyi2PAURU\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kevin Durant<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? They know how to market those names. <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/shai-gilgeous-alexander-Ghni3y9TrL9rBSl5\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/thunder\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oklahoma City Thunder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? The <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/grizzlies\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Memphis Grizzlies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? The <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/rockets\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Houston Rockets<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/magic\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Orlando Magic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? That\u2019s where the NBA has really struggled.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It feels like they just look at what is trending on social media and try to cater to that. \u2018Kids like YouTube and TikTok and Instagram influencers! Let\u2019s bring that in!\u2019 Sure, but those platforms also have nothing to do with the NBA. Those entities of entertainment aren\u2019t directly linked with the league, so it makes sense for them not to really be intertwined in the process. Even though social media coverage has been great, the focus can\u2019t just be on trying to bring in young fans. At a certain point, the basketball on the floor has to be the priority. Yes, media consumption habits have changed dramatically over the years and decades, but the league doesn\u2019t catch up in the slightest. Focus on the product. Embrace the media rights deal. And market yourself properly. Problem (potentially) solved.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NBA cannot solve the decline in viewership at the snap of a finger. But, it is yet another intriguing storyline for fans to monitor in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Among the many conversations circulating in NBA circles is the criticism around the product and sharp decline in ratings. Notable names have added their thoughts to the discourse, including\u2014more recently\u2014Lakers head coach JJ Redick. Redick cited strategy, streaming and parity as main reasons why league ratings are down and said in part: \u201cI don\u2019t think [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":82837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,2,26,62],"tags":[1006,49418,2279,38,4916,4746,708],"class_list":["post-115856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-featured","category-lakers","category-nba","tag-charles-barkley","tag-inside-the-nba","tag-jj-redick","tag-lebron-james","tag-max-christie","tag-nba-ratings","tag-tnt"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115856"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115865,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115856\/revisions\/115865"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}