LA Lakers legend Michael Cooper is the newest to name out JJ Redick’s feedback about physicality throughout Larry Chicken and Steph Curry’s period. The ESPN analyst argued that Chicken and Curry mainly must undergo the identical sort of defensive ways to attain regardless of taking part in eras aside.
On his podcast, “Showtime with Coop,” the five-time NBA champ ripped Redick:
“That man has no clue of how basketball was performed within the 80s and I assure you this JJ Redick. In the event you had performed within the 80s… I’d’ve locked your a— up. You wouldn’t have gotten a shot off, you wouldn’t have gotten nothing off.“
JJ Redick’s oversimplification of the physicality between the ’80s and right this moment’s NBA riled up two former greats of the sport. The league had totally different guidelines again then. Gamers had extra leeway to try to comprise opponents.
A tough foul throughout Larry Chicken’s period would have simply merited an ejection, if not a suspension, in right this moment’s NBA. There was extra holding, grabbing and unlawful screen-settings again then. Since early the 2000s, the league has been implementing measures to guard gamers, particularly these taking part in offense.
Michael Cooper, the 1986-87 Defensive Participant of the 12 months winner, had quite a few battles with the Boston Celtics nice within the ’80s. In most of their legendary championship video games, it was “Coop” who had the enviable activity of locking down one of many NBA’s best gamers.
Cooper knew what it took to try to comprise Chicken. Nonetheless, he, the LA Lakers and a lot of the NBA couldn’t do a lot towards “Larry Legend” in his peak. Right here’s what he needed to say about Reddick’s comparability between the Corridor of Famer and Curry:
“JJ Redick, this child right here who was a journeyman, he was a poor man’s Danny Ainge. In right this moment’s NBA, I do not what sport he is ; you’ll be able to’t contact a man. Anytime you contact anyone, a 3-point shooter, come near them once they’re touchdown, it is a foul.
“Larry Chicken was one of many best shooters that ever performed the sport. Fu*okay percentages, it ain’t about that. It is about hitting massive pictures. That man, man.”
Like Michael Cooper, Dominique Wilkins didn’t maintain again on JJ Redick’s evaluation
![Michael Cooper and Dominique Wilkins couldn't stomach JJ Redick's "disrespect" of Larry Bird. [photo: NBA.com]](https://staticc.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/03/f9f73-16777189533194-1920.jpg)
Dominique Wilkins, who was the Atlanta Hawks’ finest participant in Larry Chicken’s finest years, performed in the identical convention because the Boston Celtics nice. And like Michael Cooper, he additionally couldn’t maintain again his passionate rebuttal of JJ Redick’s evaluation.
Right here’s Wilkins additionally lashing out at JJ Redick for his sizzling tackle SiriusXM NBA:
“To begin with, Redick don’t know what the hell he’s speaking about. I’m like, what basketball was he watching? To say one thing as idiotic as that’s ridiculous.
“The physicality that was a part of the league. … I simply don’t just like the disrespect. To say that about Larry Chicken — much less bodily — is (Redick) silly? It’s only a silly remark to make.”
After all of the backlash, Redick refused to again down from his feedback. In his podcast “The Previous Man and the Three,” he responded to Michael Cooper and Dominique Wilkins:
“I didn’t disrespect Larry Chicken. I questioned the narrative round physicality. I mentioned for each montage video you’ll be able to present me of Larry Chicken being in a headlock beneath the basket, I can present you a montage video of him capturing open jumpers. Of him coming off pin-downs.
“Yeah, I can present Steph the identical means. I can present Steph getting held, I can present Larry getting held. It’s all basketball.”