Less than 48 hours into his tenure as head coach of the Lakers, JJ Redick is already facing controversy.
Redick, a former star basketball player at Duke with a 15-year NBA career, has been accused by Halleemah Nash, an author, speaker, and Duke alum, of using a racial slur.
“I’ve only been called the N word to my face by a white man once in my life and it was on the campus of Duke University while I was doing work with the basketball team,” she said. “And today he was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.”
Redick and his representatives have vehemently denied the allegation when approached for comment by TMZ Sports.
Redick, who retired from the NBA in 2021, has no prior coaching experience in the league. He joined ESPN as an NBA analyst and served as the lead analyst for the 2024 NBA Finals on ABC.
“This process has been surreal, to say the least,” Redick expressed. “I take this responsibility very seriously … The Lakers have some of the most passionate fans around the world, and the expectation is a championship, and so it’s my job to deliver a championship-caliber team. That’s what I signed up for.
“I just felt like this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I have zero coaching experience in the NBA, but I would argue that I’m very experienced. It started 22 years ago when I went to Duke.”
Redick has confirmed that the podcast he co-hosted with LeBron James will not continue as he embarks on his new role as the head coach of the Lakers.
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