NBA

J.J. Redick doubles down on LeBron James defense after Stephen A. tiff

J.J. Redick is doubling down on his defense of LeBron James.

The former NBA sharpshooter, who now hosts “The Old Man & The Three” podcast, got in an argument Tuesday on ESPN’s “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith over whether James is physically feared by fellow NBA players.

“We, collectively as a society, have damn near tried everything to discredit or dismantle LeBron’s legacy,” Redick said Wednesday.

Smith on Tuesday said James is not feared from a physicality perspective, much like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan were. Redick accused him of not believing what he was saying, with further disagreements ensuing.

“And all that guy has done is win, break records, build enterprises, build schools,” Redick said. “There’s certainly a level of respect. But for the fear factor, if you get into a playoff series with LeBron, you’re certainly fearful of who he is as a player — physically.”

jj redick and lebron james
JJ Redick is not here for anyone’s anti-LeBron James talk. Screengrab; Getty Images

Redick said he took a charge on James in his early NBA days, when he played for the Orlando Magic and wound up with 11 stitches under his eye.

“I was standing there knowing he was going to make that spin move,” he recalled. “And was I standing there in fear? Abso-f—king-lutely I was.”