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NBA legend Jerry West doesn’t appreciate the claim of former NBA player and ESPN analyst JJ Reddick that six-time NBA champion Bob Cousy played against “plumbers and firemen.”
Redick made the comments in April when he and “First Take” panelist Chris “Mad Dog” Russo discussed Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul.
ESPN broadcasters Dave Pash and JJ Reddick before the game between the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns at FTX Arena on March 9, 2022 in Miami, Florida (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“Let’s celebrate Bob Cousy in his era, but you can’t compare the pre-1980 era to the modern NBA,” Redick said.
“He was guarded by plumbers and firemen,” Reddick continued, while Russo claimed Cousy “changed the game.”
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Now West is firing back, calling Redick’s comments “disrespectful.”
“Obviously the game is completely different, the athletes are completely different,” West said on Sirius XM NBA Radio. “And I know JJ very little. He’s a very smart kid and all, but tell me what his career has been like? What was he doing that decided the matches? He averaged 12 points per game in the league. Somewhere along the way, the numbers count.
LA Clippers executive Jerry West attends a game between the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets during the 2022 NBA Summer League at Thomas and Mack Center on July 7, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“The only reason I’m talking about him is because he wasn’t an elite player, but he was a very good player. But he had a place in the team because of his ability to shoot the ball.”
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West’s NBA career overlapped Cousy’s by a few years, with West playing 14 years from 1960 to 1974. Cousy played from 1950 to 1963 before retiring for six years. He returned in the 1969-1970 season, appearing in seven games for the Cincinnati Royals. Cousy won six championships as a member of the Boston Celtics and was selected to the All-NBA first team 10 times.
ESPN analysts JJ Reddick and Mark Jones during Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Western Conference semifinals on May 12, 2022 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images)
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“My era, I was an athlete long before my team,” West continued. “I had a huge vertical and probably nobody in the league was much faster than me. And certainly the competitive part of it, I would put myself among any player who has played the game today. Winning is all that matters. That’s what drove me. And suddenly I was getting better every year. We had no conditions to improve. We had to work in the summer to support our families.
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“JJ should be very thankful that he made as much money as he did. And Bob Causey, who I played against for a couple of years … I just think it’s very unpleasant.”
Redick played 15 years in the NBA for six teams and averaged 12.8 points per game.
Joe Morgan is a sports reporter for Fox News.
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