LA Lakers legend Michael Cooper is the latest to call out JJ Redick’s comments about physicality during Larry Bird and Steph Curry’s era. The ESPN analyst argued that Bird and Curry basically have to go through the same type of defensive tactics to score despite playing eras apart.
On his podcast, “Showtime with Coop,” the five-time NBA champ ripped Redick:
“That guy has no clue of how basketball was played in the 80s and I guarantee you this JJ Redick. If you had played in the 80s… I would’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 today’s NBA riled up two former greats of the game. The league had different rules back then. Players had more leeway to try and contain opponents.
A hard foul during Larry Bird’s era would have easily merited an ejection, if not a suspension, in today’s NBA. There was more holding, grabbing and illegal screen-settings back then. Since early the 2000s, the league has been implementing measures to protect players, especially those playing offense.
Michael Cooper, the 1986-87 Defensive Player of the Year winner, had numerous battles with the Boston Celtics great in the ’80s. In most of their legendary championship games, it was “Coop” who had the enviable task of locking down one of the NBA’s greatest players.
Cooper knew what it took to try and contain Bird. However, he, the LA Lakers and most of the NBA couldn’t do much against “Larry Legend” in his peak. Here’s what he had to say about Reddick’s comparison between the Hall of Famer and Curry:
“JJ Redick, this kid here who was a journeyman, he was a poor man’s Danny Ainge. In today’s NBA, I don’t what game he’s looking at; you can’t touch a guy. Anytime you touch anybody, a 3-point shooter, come close to them when they’re landing, it’s a foul.
“Larry Bird was one of the greatest shooters that ever played the game. Fu*k percentages, it ain’t about that. It’s about hitting big shots. That guy, man.”
Like Michael Cooper, Dominique Wilkins didn’t hold back on JJ Redick’s analysis
Dominique Wilkins, who was the Atlanta Hawks’ best player in Larry Bird’s best years, played in the same conference as the Boston Celtics great. And like Michael Cooper, he also couldn’t hold back his passionate rebuttal of JJ Redick’s analysis.
Here’s Wilkins also lashing out at JJ Redick for his hot take on SiriusXM NBA:
“First of all, Redick don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. I’m like, what basketball was he watching? To say something as idiotic as that is ridiculous.
“The physicality that was part of the league. … I just don’t like the disrespect. To say that about Larry Bird — less physically — is (Redick) stupid? It’s just a stupid comment to make.”
After all the backlash, Redick refused to back down from his comments. In his podcast “The Old Man and the Three,” he responded to Michael Cooper and Dominique Wilkins:
“I didn’t disrespect Larry Bird. I questioned the narrative around physicality. I said for every montage video you can show me of Larry Bird being in a headlock underneath the basket, I can show you a montage video of him shooting open jumpers. Of him coming off pin-downs.
“Yeah, I can show Steph the same way. I can show Steph getting held, I can show Larry getting held. It’s all basketball.”