JJ Redick decided to target something many young fans have been waiting to see called out on national TV for years a couple of months back. Redick laid into the glorification of previous eras of basketball as tougher than the modern era. Not only has he been defending the modern era of basketball alongside Draymond Green, but he is also actively attacking older generations by making comments against the likes of Bob Cousy.
Since Redick disparaged the previous generations, many more prominent voices from the previous generation of basketball chimed in, like Jerry West. As Redick’s argument has gained steam, many fans have started to realize the disrespect that is being shown to the ones that paved the way for Redick and Draymond Green to make the millions they have as NBA players.
A Reddit user decided to throw Redick’s comment back in his face by bringing up an image of JJ Barea wearing a Raising Cane’s cap and saying that a fast food worker was the one that toppled the Miami Heat super team in 2011.
This picture exists because Barea and the Mavs had partnered up with Raising Cane’s to collect winter items for the needy. As a result, Barea went around to Cane’s locations and worked there to promote the program.
This is a hilarious take on the initial comments that Redick has made, but it doesn’t hold a lot of weight as an argument. Basketball as a sport will continue to evolve as coaching, and individual player development gets even more refined over the years. Today’s NBA superstars are at the peak of health and conditioning, which is something that can’t be said about the previous generations.
Every era has its challenges, so it is never fair to compare them. It’s best to leave this fruitless argument in the past and appreciate the players we see in the present for what they are doing now, rather than comparing them to players in the past.
