JJ Redick is facing allegations from a Black woman who said the head coach called her the N-word during his college career at Duke in the early 2000s. The accusation came from entrepreneur Halleemah Nash in a recent post on X.
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In the post, Nash writes, “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. And today, he was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.” According to her LinkedIn page, Nash coordinated an initiative called the “Blue Devil Inner City Youth Project” with Duke’s basketball team from August 2003 to August 2004.
Redick was announced as the Lakers’ coach earlier this week and has faced criticism for this allegation and his lack of coaching experience, as reported by the Daily Mail. In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for Redick denied the claims and said, “No, it never happened.”
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The former Duke star and NBA player, known for his sharp-shooting skills, retired from professional basketball in 2021 and has been involved in sports media, including announcing games for ESPN and hosting a podcast.
During a press conference, Redick addressed his lack of experience and noted he was a second runner-up after coach Dan Hurley declined the offer.
At no point was my ego or feelings hurt or bruised in any way. Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn. I am a two-time 55 Swish League champion in the third- and fourth-grade division. I understood, you know?”