J.J. Redick Doubles Down On Physicality In NBA While Clapping Back At Dominique Wilkins

16-year NBA veteran JJ Redick continues to step on the toes of the older generation. Specifically, the 38-year-old talks a lot about the physicality of basketball.

Many older NBA players, fans and analysts believe the game used to be played on a far more physical level. Redick disagrees— specifically when it comes to Hall of Famer Larry Bird.

He believes that today's NBA gameplay is equally, if not more physical than the previous era. Dominique Wilkins completely disagrees and called out Redick for his take.

JJ Redick wasn't going to let his opinion get twisted.

He stands by what he said, even after Wilkins clapped back in his direction. Redick doesn't appreciate how older generations discount the modern game and spoke about the topic on his most recent episode of The Old Man & the Three podcast.

The trope that every old talking head uses, Mad Dog, Stephen A., ‘physicality, physicality, physicality.’ My entire point about the segment was that outside of hard fouls and fighting, the physicality, the basketball play, by play, by play, is not that much different than today’s NBA. But it’s become such a talking point that people take it as gospel.
The idea that I’m disrespecting older players for questioning media narratives around that era, that’s not disrespect! What I said then, what I’ve said 15 or 16 times since then, on the podcast, on ESPN, ‘players should be celebrated, we should congratulate greatness for that era. The greatest players of every era…they would be fine in any era.’ And one of the pushbacks on that comment is always, ‘today’s players wouldn’t be fine in the ‘80s and ‘90s,’ which is f—king horsesh*t.

Redick wants to be abundantly clear that he is not disrespecting the older generation because he disagrees with their assessment of the sport as a whole. He appreciates individual players for their greatness within their specific era.

Nobody is trying to discredit Larry Bird's game. Not even Redick, who was/is one of the purest jump shooters of the 2000s.

Where Redick won't back down, though, is the notion that the NBA is less physical today than it was when Bird was playing. In his eyes, outside of fouls and fighting, it's the same game! The difference lies in how it has evolved.