Well, that was fast.
JJ Redick, the newly appointed head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, has found himself embroiled in controversy just days after assuming his role.
His introduction to the position was marked by a somewhat rocky start during a press conference on Monday where he inadvertently let slip several expletives while addressing the media. This initial faux pas was quickly overshadowed by more serious allegations the following day.
The controversy intensified when Halleemah Nash, a woman who attended Duke University at the same time as Redick, made a distressing accusation against him. Nash, who worked with the Duke basketball team during her time at the university, claimed in a post on the social media platform X that Redick had racially abused her. Her post vividly recounted the incident, stating, “I’ve only been called the N-word to my face by a white man once in my life and it was on the campus of Duke University while I was doing work with the basketball team. And today he was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.”
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This post rapidly gained traction and has amassed over 15 million views, sparking widespread discussion and backlash.
In response to these allegations, TMZ Sports contacted a representative of Redick. The spokesperson firmly denied the claims, stating, “No, it never happened,” thus adding another layer of complexity to the unfolding situation.
Redick’s tenure at Duke, where he played from 2003 to 2006, was notable not only for his athletic prowess but also for the divisive figure he became.
Renowned for his sharpshooting, Redick was a polarizing athlete, often drawing ire from fans of opposing teams. In his senior year, he achieved an impressive average of 26.8 points per game, shooting 47.0% from the field and successfully making 3.9 three-pointers per game at a 42.1% accuracy rate.
His college career concluded with him setting a record for the most three-pointers made in NCAA history, a total of 457—a record that stood until 2019.
The juxtaposition of Redick’s celebrated athletic achievements with the serious nature of the allegations against him presents a complex and challenging start to his coaching career with the Lakers.
