J.J. Redick: A Collegiate Legacy and Beyond

Jonathan Clay "JJ" Redick, born on June 24, 1984, is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Redick played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, where he garnered numerous individual awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year. Known for his exceptional three-point and free-throw shooting, Redick set Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) career records for most points and most ACC tournament points.

Early Life and High School Career

Born in Cookeville, Tennessee, Redick is the son of Jeanie and Ken Redick. His father played basketball for two seasons at Ohio Wesleyan University. Redick's older twin sisters, Catie and Alyssa, both played for Campbell University, his younger brother, David, was a tight end for the Marshall University's football team, and his youngest sister, Abigail, played basketball for Virginia Tech and Drexel University.

Redick was a McDonald's All-American at Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and won the 2002 McDonald's All-American Game MVP. As a senior, he scored 43 points in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class AAA state championship game, leading the Knights to victory over George Wythe High School of Richmond.

Collegiate Career at Duke University

Considered a five-star recruit, Redick was highly sought after and listed as the No. 2 shooting guard and the No. 13 player in the nation. He committed to Duke University, where he quickly established himself as a key player for the Blue Devils.

Freshman Year

In his first year at Duke University, Redick led his team with 30 points in their victory over NC State in the ACC Tournament championship game.

Sophomore Year

During his sophomore year, Redick continued to develop his game, showcasing his exceptional shooting skills and basketball intelligence.

Junior Year

In the 2004-05 season, Redick led Duke in scoring with 21.8 points per game. He won the ACC Player of the Year award and the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy for national player of the year. Redick's victory in the Rupp voting overshadowed Utah's Andrew Bogut, who won every other major player of the year award.

Redick set an ACC record for consecutive free throws with 54. This record began on March 20, 2003, and ended on January 15, 2004. It was later broken on January 22, 2012, by Scott Wood from NC State. Redick entered his final postseason with a chance to become the NCAA's all-time leading free-throw shooter.

Senior Year

On February 14, 2006, in the first half of a game against Wake Forest, Redick broke Virginia alumnus Curtis Staples's NCAA record of 413 career three-pointers made. Keydren Clark of Saint Peter's College subsequently surpassed Redick's mark in the MAAC tournament. However, Redick reclaimed the record by hitting 15 three-pointers in the ACC Tournament and 12 in the NCAA Tournament to finish ahead of Clark.

In the game after breaking Staples' record, Redick scored 30 points on February 19, 2006, against Miami to become the all-time leading scorer at Duke, with 2,557 points scored in his career. On February 25, in a game versus Temple, Redick passed Dickie Hemric's 51-year-old ACC scoring record of 2,587 points with a pair of free throws in the waning minutes of the game. His record was later surpassed in one of the opening-round games of the 2009 NCAA tournament by North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough.

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On March 10, 2006, in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal against Miami, Redick scored 25 points, setting a Duke record for points in a season with 858. Redick ended the season with 964 points, falling just short of the ACC record for points scored in a season, which was set by Dennis Scott with 970 points in 1990.

Challenges and Triumphs

As the marquee player of the Blue Devils, Redick was often the target of abuse by fans of rival teams. In 2006, Clay Travis of CBS Sports called him the "most hated current athlete in America." After students from rivals Maryland and North Carolina discovered his cell phone number, Redick estimated that he received 50 to 75 hate calls per day. Opposing crowds would shout obscenity-laced tirades, and the abuse nearly led him to quit basketball in his sophomore year.

Despite the challenges, Redick persevered and became one of the most celebrated players in Duke history. On February 4, 2007, Duke retired Redick's no. 4 jersey, cementing his legacy as a Blue Devils legend.

NBA Career

Redick was selected with the 11th pick in the 2006 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. Pre-draft scouting reports praised Redick's perimeter shooting and basketball intelligence but questioned his defensive ability and speculated that he might not be tall or athletic enough to create his own shots in the NBA.

Orlando Magic (2006-2013)

Redick played for the Orlando Magic for seven seasons. In January 2008, Redick posted on his personal blog that "it's been proven that even if I play well in the limited minutes I get that not much is going to change." In the 2008-09 season, Redick averaged 17.4 minutes per game. The Magic made it to the NBA Finals, but lost to the Lakers in five games.

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Milwaukee Bucks (2013)

In February 2013, Redick was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Los Angeles Clippers (2013-2017)

In July 2013, Redick was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. On January 18, 2016, Redick scored a career-high 40 points in a 140-132 overtime win over the Houston Rockets. On November 5, 2016, Redick increased his streak of consecutive games with a made three-pointer to 62, in a 116-92 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Philadelphia 76ers (2017-2019)

In July 2017, Redick signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He re-signed with the 76ers in July 2018.

New Orleans Pelicans (2019-2021)

In July 2019, Redick signed a two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dallas Mavericks (2021)

In March 2021, Redick was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Retirement

After 15 seasons in the NBA, Redick retired on September 21, 2021.

National Team Career

Redick was a member of the 2003 USA Junior World Championship Team. In 2005, he competed with the USA Basketball Under-21 Team, which won a gold medal at the Global Games. In 2006, Redick was named to the 2006-2008 USA national team program.

Media Career

In January 2016, Redick launched a podcast on Yahoo! Sports. In 2020, he left The Ringer to own his content and start his own media company, co-founding ThreeFourTwo Productions with Alter, a reference to the 342 shots he would take every Sunday during the off-season. He hosted "The Old Man and the Three" along with Alter before announcing his departure to coach the Lakers. The podcast premiered August 5, 2020, inside the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida with Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard as the first guest.

Coaching Career

Redick was announced as the 29th head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers on June 24, 2024. With this, Redick became a rookie head coach with no prior coaching experience other than serving as a volunteer head coach of the fourth-grade boys team at Brooklyn Basketball Academy, where his 9-year-old son played. In his coaching debut on October 22, the Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103 for a season-opening win. Redick coached the Lakers to a 50-32 record, the third-best in the Western Conference, in his first season as head coach.

Personal Life

Redick is a Christian. On June 13, 2006, Redick was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Durham County, North Carolina.

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