This past Tuesday, September 21, 2021, Dallas Mavericks shooting guard JJ Redick officially announced his retirement from the game of basketball. The 37-year-old athlete was initially drafted to the league as the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic before taking his talent and ability to new heights. Redick has successfully made a name for himself in the basketball world over the course of his impressive 15-season career. He was passed around to multiple teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Orleans Pelicans, while successfully managing to propel himself to the 15th spot on the NBA’s all-time best shooters list.
He made the news public on his podcast, The Old Man and The Three, by uploading a six-minute video of a heartfelt explanation and ‘thank you to everyone who has shown their support throughout his hard-fought journey. “As a seven-year-old boy I dreamed of playing at Duke and as I got older I dreamed of playing in the NBA. The last 30 years of basketball have been beyond my wildest dreams… After years of youth leagues, AAU, high school basketball, four years at Duke, and 15 years in the NBA I am retiring from the game I love so much,” Redick passionately expressed to his beloved viewers. “So thankful for 15 years in the NBA and all the amazing relationships and memories along the way.”
It will be interesting to see how JJ Redick transitions his life from a professional basketball player to what seems to be some sort of media entertainment career. The athlete originally started his podcast in 2016 along with his friend and business partner, Tommy Alter, and since then has managed to acquire exclusive sponsorships from powerful supporting companies such as Cashapp. Many of his peers and former teammates being Luka Doncic, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, and Zion Williamson have wished JJ the best of luck in his future endeavors.