The NBA has tended to be labeled a superstar league, considering the amount of influence just one truly elite talent can have on a team on a franchise. This means that there is a large amount of drama that follows the league’s best and biggest players around. The debate about who the greatest to play ever is and who the best scorer of all time is are common topics in the fan community and often leads to several interesting narratives in the NBA season.
Talking heads on ESPN like Stephen A. Smith are excellent at creating and promoting these narratives, with superstars like Kevin Durant and LeBron James often involved in them. Former player and now analyst JJ Redick challenged Stephen A. on the air, explaining that neither Durant nor LeBron has any pressure on them to win more rings to cement their legacy in the NBA. Redick argued that the duo is already solidified in the league.
.@jj_redick says LeBron and KD are under NO pressure to win another title.
"Both of these guys' legacies are secured!" pic.twitter.com/5KGxpkfXxO
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 8, 2022
Interviewer: “Who’s under more pressure to win another title, LeBron James or Kevin Durant?”
Redick: “I don’t think you’re going to like my answer here. I don’t think there’s pressure on either guy… When we talk about legacies, both of these guys’ legacies are secured… I don’t think they feel any pressure to win another championship, they certainly want to win another championship.”
Redick: “Great players are always going to have pressure. The question was who will have more pressure. The answer is neither… As an athlete, we want to go out and kill, and we wanna win. Any great athlete, that is inherent to the game. There is no one who can put more pressure on Kevin or LeBron or me or Chris Paul than themselves. So all the pressure, it’s coming from this.”
Redick went on to say another key thing at the end of his statement that fans caught on to, with JJ claiming that the narrative is created by the media and analysts like Stephen A.
JJ Redick to Stephen A on First Take:
"As an athlete, we wanna go out and kill. And we wanna win… There is no one that can put more pressure on Kevin [Durant] or LeBron… than themselves…
All the pressure is coming from this… You're creating a narrative Stephen A." pic.twitter.com/yjXdNp892S
— Courtside Clips (@Courtside_Clips) February 8, 2022
Redick: “The answer is neither. You’re creating a narrative and a story, Stephen A. We all do that, this is what we do.”
NBA players that are still playing and some that have retired have often spoken about the need to simply appreciate players for their achievements instead of constantly pitting them against one another. To see Redick essentially calling someone like Stephen A. Smith out on it is refreshing and hopefully will help the viewers remember that while the debates are fun, it’s just as important to enjoy the greatness of the players we are currently privileged enough to watch.
