20 Second Timeout

Bob Cousy Provides Brilliant Response to J.J. Redick

Today on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Justin Termine interviewed Bob Cousy. I am not a fan of Termine--who candidly admits that he is "an entertainer, not a journalist"--but it is good that Termine understands Cousy's greatness, and that he gave Cousy an opportunity to respond to J.J. Redick's ignorant comments comparing Cousy's contemporaries to "plumbers and firemen." 

Cousy said that "since Adam and Eve" there have been people who lack "credibility and skills" who seek to gain credibility by attacking people who have superior credibility and superior skills. Cousy could not have offered a more fitting description of Redick. 

Cousy added that responding directly to such people only feeds their desire to gain credibility, so he will not talk about his accomplishments, but that he will speak on behalf of the "plumbers and firemen" he played with and against. Cousy listed a few of them: Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor (who he called the greatest small forward ever), Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, George Mikan, John Havlicek, and Bob Pettit. Cousy said that those players were "not too shabby," an understatement that highlights the absurdity of Redick's statement. When Cousy starred in the NBA, the league had fewer teams and fewer players per team; many fringe players who are highly paid today would not have even earned a roster spot back in the day.

As Termine noted, Cousy played an important role in the formation and development of the NBA Players Association, and Cousy also laid the groundwork for the NBA's modern success by playing in a spectacular way that attracted fans. Termine asked Cousy if he thinks that the modern players appreciate what the previous generations of players did. Cousy replied, "I hope so." 

Redick should be ashamed of his ignorance, and he should study NBA history before he opens his mouth again--and the same is true of Termine's Sirius XM NBA Radio colleagues Amin Elhassan and Zach Harper.

Labels: Amin Elhassan, Bob Cousy, J.J. Redick, Justin Termine, Zach Harper

posted by David Friedman @ 8:16 PM

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