JJ is OFF HIS ROCKER 😯 Stephen A. RESPONDS to Redick saying the MJ era was watered down | First Take
Udonis Haslem joins Stephen A. Smith and Christine Williamson on First Take to discuss JJ Redick’s comments about the Michael Jordan era.
#ESPN #NBA #FirstTake
✔️Subscribe to ESPN+ http://espnplus.com/youtube
✔️ Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
✔️Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE
✔️ Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoNBAonESPN
✔️ Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV
we want to get your thoughts on something JJ reck was a guest on Shaquille O’Neal’s the big podcast where the duo spoke about the greats of the game and JJ had some particular comments that raised eyebrows about the Michael Jordan era of basketball take a listen I’ll say this with Michael Jordan and I don’t mean this to be controversial but like everybody talks about all these the the context of this era Michael Jordan the Dallas Mavericks were were added as the 23rd team in 1981 Jordan was drafted during his Heyday six teams were added to the NBA they were 90 players added to the NBA like that that does that not water down I’m not talking playoffs by the way no chance I’m talking playoffs does that not water down the regular season to a degree all right UD your reaction to this com by JJ I disagree I disagree it Ain they was getting like they was getting 90 Ducks you still getting NBA players you weren getting 90 civilians you were still bringing in guys that has skill set and NBA Talent so and you can say today we got the 2-a contracts where guys go to the g-league and come in so is that mean the league watered down now I got to disagree I like JJ but I disagree with him on that one well first of all it’s okay to disagree with people you like you’ll learn that you’ll disagree with me alike and I know we got love for each other okay that’s just the way that it goes all right that’s number one JJ I love JJ to death brilliant brilliant mind no question about it he done lost his damn mind with this assertion I don’t know what the hell he talking about he is off his rocker this is the reality and this is what and you can appreciate this better than me cuz you’re the one that played in the league for 20 years this is what D drives me crazy folks who are successors don’t pay enough attention I won’t say respect it because they do respect it but they don’t pay enough attention to the predecessors who pave the way enabling them to do what they did before there was Dr J there was Connie Hawkins yes before there was MJ there was Dr J you don’t think MJ Dr J had an impact on MJ you don’t think MJ had an impact on Kobe you don’t think Kobe had an impact you know you know the Vince Carters of the world and others of course you don’t think Kevin male and these guys had an influence on Tim Duncan of course they did you know it it just drives me crazy when people lose sight of that I understand the game has changed JJ is one of those guys that’s looking at the of athleticism that exists the pace of play how it’s quickened How more is required physically of talent today compared to what it was but did you watch the bad boy Pistons did did did did you did you did you watch the the the the Pistons did you watch the Philadelphia 76s and the Boston Celtics in the early 80s even with the Twin Towers in Houston do you remember when Mark McGuire and those boys were on the Dallas Mavericks back in the day with Rando Blackman and Derek Harper do you remember San Antonio with artist Gilmore do you remember Milwaukee with bob L do you remember some of the stuff that paved way it amazes me that and now by the way you could speak to this you D the game was Far More Physical back in the day than it is today you could you you could get F you could foul out for having bad breath today you understand Stephen you hit you hit the nail right on the head I was right behind you I was with you on that one the game was way more physical them was grown men back then and you had to guard and you had to guard your yard it wasn’t 50 pick and roll if they saw a mismatch on the court they were going at you every time and they had to take you out you couldn’t play that night cuz they was going to go at you and embarrass you every night so I agree a th% you had to be a grown man to play back then anybody can pretty much go out there yeah and even then was when Jordan dropped 63 at the Garden and Larry Bird called them guard and jimm shorts you had the Jordan rules because of the bad boy Pistons you got to go through what he had to go through to get to where he is and you’re going to talk to us about eras please JJ is brilliant love does a great job for us on every level watch his game watch his podcast with LeBron James your former teammate and boy do all of that just don’t listen to his ass when it come to this no he he he dead wrong he dead wrong with that one MJ might go MJ my go I’m I’mma go like MJ my go he always gonna be my go and that takes nothing away from what guys are doing today it’s great watch the game is amazing but MJ my goat that’s going to be my goat [Music] he
45 Comments
Jj didn't mean it to be controversial but it became controversial. Lol. I love Jj but this take is wrong. How can it be watered down if NBA players are always the best in the world.
Biggest thing is more teams and more players means more competition. DAL became competitive quickly and gave us HOF players and a chip.
JJ is just a LeBalco bootlicker casting for coach
One way to put this in context you literally had SINGLE memorable teams like he said bad boy pistons , showtime lakers , bulls dude every team except 2-3 has great squads. We literally had 3 teams tied for best record in the league. I would love to see how many wins it took in the 80s to get into the playoffs
lol he Lebron business partner they keep reaching for the goat debate did mj make his goat status in regular season ?
JJ criticized espn of having certain narratives and accusing Perkins of insinuating that certain all star voters are racists while being UNDER the ESPN payroll. But now he makes this statement because he is payed off by Klutch lol. Pathetic and salty LeBron haters
Lmao jj has no credibility LMAO he's a clown 🤡🤡
JJ conveniently leaves out that one of those expansion teams made the Finals in the mid 90s…
"MJ is my goat." – Udonis Haslem
"MJ is THE goat." – Consensus
JJ a nice shooter but he wouldn't even exist in the league back then 😂
I mean if there’s less teams it’s unarguably easier to make the playoffs. Also, the Bulls still won 55 games without Jordan when he went to play Baseball.
yeh JJ kinda bugging, i agree with him on majority of things tho
Scottie Barnes sister?
JJ has assumed his ankle grabbing position for lebron lol
JJ Redick is not a HOF'er, nor was he a 2nd option or a third option or even an all star to have the qualification to speak on MJ like this. Atleast be a somebody first. Secondly, I get that he's working with LeBron, but in no way shape or form do you need to be glazing like this..
Stop giving JJ an outlet.
All this is could’ve would’ve Shoulda. I want to see how many great players there would be today if you drop them back in the old days, gave them the same equipment and they wouldn’t make enough money so they would have to go and work another job to support their family. Imagine if some of the old schools made enough to where they could focus on basketball and not the next meals for their family. There would be more greats
I seen a video where Jordan did a behind the back dribble and the commentators were amazed because they never seen that move before. Jordan paved the way but cmon man there’s a reason he dominated like that
Jordan ruled in a weak era…The great teams were old or had only one great player…The Bulls were loaded…🎯
Bron fans needs to slander MJ's legacy cause lebron's legacy alone cant match up against MJ.. they need to lie and create a fake narrative lol. With all that, people still consider MJ as the goat
The NBA is such a scripted reality show. They wonder why the ratings continue to plummet
The NBA is the only PRO Sports league where players trash former players constantly
Plug
Pà
JJ is WATERED DOWN for realsies
JJ is a hater because he on the podcast with LeFlop
JJ Reddick has become the Ben Shapiro of basketball analysts: He's a very smart guy saying very dumb things.
Why is anybody listening to a Duke player?Anyway period none of them aint s*** and they never been s*** and never will be s***J j reddick would have been the three point specialist at best
JJ lost his mind, que loco
So then by this thinking then the Russell era would be the best era bcuz it was the least "watered down"? Cant have it both ways
Everybody knows this is a Klutch Sports Funded "Take" by JJ to discredit Jordan by Lebrons peoples…..
Unfortunately- Lebron isn't Top 10 so nice try Klutch
Ummm, DUH! Of course, it waters down the regular season competition. No other way that we can think of it. So, does it increase the level of individual greatness? NO! Does it stay the same? HOW! Does it lower it? YEAH! SA, I love ya man but you need to go to college and take statistics. You named ALL the individuals in the 80's from the expansion teams who were remotely okay. That it! Name ALL of em. You already did. Please, Mark Aquirre! I'm a Mavs fan but who else was great? Why you think Mavs had success in playoffs immediately? Poor competition. Except for those teams with all the great talent like the Celts, Lakers.
Jj' s way of free advertising is to spew outrageous none sense .
Fake news! Click bate. No truth!
2:39 , yes stephen A, we watched. By todays NBA standards, they're a play-in team. None of those teams are objectively good by today's standards. All of Jordans teams would be swept by the KD warriors, all of Jordan's teams would be swept by the Nuggets. If Jordan took any of his teams to today's western conference, he'd be the 5th seed max.
UD average 4PPG on his career, he knows nothing of skill. He was unplayable since 2016
Of course JJ Reddick and Nick Wright are LeBron Fan boys to say anything to tear down MJ's Legacy to call MJ Era Watered Down very laughable and clueless of LeBron Stans
The teams that were added to the league in the 90's were created through EXPANSION DRAFT. Players from OTHER NBA TEAMS were moved to create the new rosters in addition to the lottery. There was NO DILUTION in talent or skill. JJ is just factually incorrect.
Gotta agree with SAS and UD on this one. Sorry JJ. Welcome UD!!! Nice add!
nahh weeed lips on FS1 is nasty work
im sorry that girl needs hair
Talent is better today
92 and 93 finals has the worse defense but nobody wants to admit it
Comparing what i consider two different leagues is laughable, you got grown men with families to feed arguing with 20 year olds that the 90s were tougher just because you could get chin checked on a screen
It's a matter of simple mathematics people. JJ says that the league was watered down, but lets do the math in comparison to today. So if 6 teams were added that means there were 276 players in the NBA when Jordan came into the league. Add 6 teams that count goes to 348 total players in the entire league when Jordan retired. Compare that to today. The NBA added 1 more team bringing the list of teams to 30 so there's 360 players. The rosters were expanded to 15 bringing the total number to 450. Teams also get 3 two-way contracts bringing the total number of players possible to play at any time to 540 players. Five hundred forty players. So the league has added nearly two hundred players PLUS a nearly 30 team G-League that can have players called up at any time. But the Jordan era was watered down and today's game isn't? Seriously? Make it make sense.
Udonis haslem is a beast. I hope they keep him around, what a great analyst.