Sixers

NBA Slop: JJ Redick, Pat Bev, and Austin Rivers in a Three-Way Spat Over Doc

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Feb 21st, 2024 · 10:21 AM EST

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Earlier this week, former Sixer JJ Redick criticized his former coach, Doc Rivers, for making excuses:

JJ Redick calls out his former head coach Doc Rivers, who he will be replacing on ESPN/ABC’s NBA Finals coverage.

“I’ve seen the trend for years. The trend is always making excuses. Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard… it’s always an excuse.… pic.twitter.com/NeTGnP1Suw

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 20, 2024

“Always an excuse, always throwing your team under the bus… there’s never accountability with that guy.”

Fact check – true! It’s always someone or something else’s fault. The guys wanted to be in Cabo or the schedule was too hard or something like that.

But Pat Bev and Austin Rivers didn’t like what JJ said, and responded thusly:

This Man Doc actually saved your career. Started you when no one else wanted 2. And u retire go on TV and say that. @jj_redick

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 20, 2024

Austin rivers respectfully fried JJ redick lmao
pic.twitter.com/C0Rgfws7Rg

— ³⁴ (@GiannisWorld) February 20, 2024

Redick responded to Pat Bev, saying “Pat my guy I had a four year offer with player option for the same money to be a starter for a different team. FOH “saved my career”.

Beverley and Rivers are essentially saying that Redick should be grateful for what Doc did for his career. Fair enough, but regardless of whether JJ is or isn’t grateful, it doesn’t mean he can’t or shouldn’t be critical of Doc in this television role. You’re in a different position now. You’re media. You have to analyze the games, the players, and the coaches, and if you’re on First Take with Stephen A and Shannon Sharpe, then yeah, it’s gonna come out a certain way. Could he have presented it differently? Sure, but he’s not required to go easy on Doc simply because he played four seasons for him in Los Angeles. And those squads, with Redick, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Jamal Crawford, couldn’t get out of the second round despite winning 55+ games in three straight seasons, so nobody can speak on Doc with more authority than JJ. Whether that’s accountability or underachievement is somewhat distinguished by what Austin is saying in that second video clip.

The NBA is so dramatic.