Former NBA player JJ Redick has quickly become a fan favorite on ESPN’s First Take and it’s easy to see why.
He actually provides basketball takes and doesn’t just say things to get a reaction out of people.
The latest example came from Wednesday’s episode of First Take where Stephen A. Smith said that the Lakers should consider trading LeBron James. Stephen A. said what he said and he probably truly believes the Lakers should trade LeBron and he’s very entertaining when he’s getting his point across. However, the best part of the segment was JJ’s reaction.
He, like most people, couldn’t believe what Stephen A. was saying because it was pretty ridiculous. JJ also went viral again for taking on Chris Russo’s horrible take on Draymond Green.
ESPN First Take has been set up like this for awhile, they just change out the characters.
They always have a MAGA guy, a pro-black players guy, and Stephen A. Smith who just sort of floats around and yells at everybody and everything.
JJ Redick vs. Chris Russo is just the new version of Max Kellerman and Will Cain. Similar to those debates where ESPN rarely promoted Kellerman’s rational takes (remember when T.O. said Kellerman was more black than Stephen A.), ESPN did not promote this take from JJ Redick basically accusing Chris Russo of being MAGA for telling Draymond to shut up and dribble.
That has the same sort of connotations as the ‘Shut up and dribble’ crowd has toward athletes,” Redick said, referencing the time Fox News host Laura Ingraham said that about LeBron James.
“I have a problem with that. And specifically with Draymond, the idea that America is tired of him. You do realize that the man has a very popular podcast that he hosts and talks for the majority of the episode. People listen to that. He signed a talent deal with Turner because people want to hear what he has to say, because he’s real, authentic and unfiltered.”
Flip the page to see the reaction and the reactions to the reaction.
