ESPN’s First Take had a controversial segment yesterday when discussing Draymond Green’s comments about interacting with Grizzlies fans in the arena.
‘Mad Dog’ Chris Russo controversially instructed Draymond Green to be quiet and continue playing basketball. JJ Redick objected to Russo’s comments, noting that it was a prime example of how athletes across the world were constantly dismissed.
Many NBA athletes showed support for JJ Redick standing up to Russo, including Draymond Green, who praised Redick but also slammed Russo for his comments. And now, another NBA superstar has praised Redick for his words.
LeBron James shared a video of the argument between Chris Russo and JJ Redick on his Instagram story. LeBron praised Redick by endorsing him and then responded to Russo’s comments by saying we, as in the community of NBA athletes, do not care about what Russo had to say.
“JJ for President!! We don’t care!!
Clearly, Russo’s comments have not gone down well with the fraternity of NBA players. Russo has been part of First Take for a short while, but his comments about certain players like Chris Paul have garnered a lot of criticism.
Russo is old-school in his approach to basketball, something that was bound to rub people the wrong way. But his comments about Green had a certain air of condescension to them, and so, many NBA players and fans called him out for it.
Redick has been one of the most popular additions to First Take for quite some time. Redick has experience talking about basketball, with him having a popular podcast where he hosts many NBA players.
Plus, his experience as a player in the NBA for many years allows him to provide valuable insight into the league, something Stephen A. Smith and other members of the show cannot provide for fans.
