The NBA lost a legend on Wednesday, its logo, in fact. Jerry West, one of the greatest players to ever play and the inspiration behind the NBA’s iconic logo, died at 86.
West made his mark on the league not just as a great player on some great Lakers teams but also as a tremendous front-office executive who helped set up the Lakers for success long after he brought them success on the floor.
West was also…shall we say…unafraid to voice his opinion on topics near and dear to his heart. And seeing as how nothing was nearer and dearer to his heart than basketball. It only makes sense on this day when we remember the “logo” to flashback two years ago when a much younger former player looking to make his mark in broadcasting took a shot at one of the legends of West’s era and, by extension, West himself.
In 2022, JJ Redick, a 15-year NBA vet and ESPN analyst, knowingly or unknowingly stirred a hornet’s nest when he asserted that Celtics legend Bob Cousy played against “plumbers and firefighters” during his era. Cousy, regarded as one of the greatest guards of all time, played from 1950-1969.
During a heated debate with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on ESPN’s First Take, Russo critiqued Chris Paul while citing Cousy’s greatness. Redick shot back by downplaying not only Cousy but his whole generation of players.
“Bob Cousy couldn’t dribble with his left hand,” Redick retorted.
“Bob Cousy changed the game,” Russo responded. “Chris Paul didn’t change the game.”
After a tit-for-tat where Russo and Redick shot stats back and forth at each other, Redick lowered the boom.
“Bob Cousy had 29 assists in one game,” Russo said.
“Well, he was being guarded by plumbers and firemen,” Redick shot back.
Bob Cousy (14) of the Boston Celtics moves into score through Syracuse Men, Red Rocha (left) and Paul Seymour (5), in the second quarter of the playoffs game at the Boston Arena. The Syracuse Nationals scored a 110-84 victory to capture the NBA Eastern Division honors and go into the finals with the Western Division winner, which is to be decided between Fort Wayne and Minneapolis.
West was asked about Redick’s comments on SiriusXM NBA with Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson shortly thereafter. His response did not disappoint.
“Obviously, the game is completely different. The athletes are completely different. I know J.J. a little bit, a very smart kid and everything — but tell me what his career looked like,” West asked. “What did he do that determined games? He averaged, what, 12 points a game in the league?
“Somewhere along the line, numbers count. At that point in time, the players aren’t what they used to be. J.J. certainly wasn’t gonna guard the elite players. And so you can nitpick anyone. The only reason I’m talking about him is he was not an elite player. He was a very good player. But he had a place on a team because of his ability to shoot the ball.”
West described himself as a player “ahead of his time” athletically with just as much drive to win as any modern-day player.
“J.J. should be very thankful that he’s made as much as he made, and Bob Cousy, who I played against for a couple of years [laid the way] … I just think it’s very disrespectful myself.”
In Redick’s defense, the entire debate was Chris Paul vs Bob Cousy. At no point did Redick say his career deserved any mention or credit. Still, he touched a nerve with West, and it showed.
The Laker legend made another salient point during his rant. Players and media today love to talk about the tremendous growth in athleticism among today’s athletes. And that’s fair; the athletes are much better. But, there are two key factors West highlights that need to be pointed out: Players of old had to work two jobs. They also didn’t have the gyms and training facilities modern athletes have.
Who knows how good those “firemen” would have been if they had the luxury facilities and the ability to focus solely on basketball that JJ Redick had?
Regardless, West was one of the greats of his generation, and as you can see, he wasn’t afraid to defend his generation. RIP.