Bob Cousy fires back at JJ Redick's 'firemen and plumbers' comments / News - Basketnews.com

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Former NBA player JJ Redick made headlines a month ago when discussing Chris Paul's legacy on ESPN's show First Take.

J.J. Redick

Position:SGAge:37Height:193 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:Cookeville, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

After debating whether CP3 would be an all-time point guard if he had won an NBA Championship, NBA Hall of Famer Bob Cousy's name was brought up.

"Bob Cousy couldn't dribble with his left hand," Redick said on the show. "Bob Cousy won championships in the NBA when there were 8 teams and you had to win two playoff series."

"Let's celebrate Bob Cousy in his era but you cannot compare pre-1980 with the modern NBA," the former player continued. "He was being guarded by plumbers and firemen."

A month after the initial statements, Bob Cousy himself, who is now 93, responded to the claims on NBA Radio on Sirius XM.

"People with less talent will always try to make a name for themselves by criticizing other people and hopefully getting some attention, and perhaps increasing their credibility. When you respond to something like this, you play into their hands," the legendary player said.

"I won't do that but I will defend the firemen and the plumbers that he referenced and just give you a few of the names of these firemen that I played with and against during those years," he continued.

"How about Bill Russell, the aforementioned, wasn't too bad a player, Wilt Chamberlain, remember that guy? He wasn't bad," Cousy remembered. "I guess he must have fought fires as well. Still, the best small forward that ever played the game, the guy named Elgin Baylor."

"A couple of point guards that weren't too shabby. My colleague who also had an award created, a guy named Oscar Robertson who was pound for pound the best player perhaps in the game. Jerry West wasn't too shabby," he named the two players Redick mentioned during the show.

"The guys on our team - Sam and KC Jones, a guy named Hondo, John Havlicek, wasn't too bad, Tom Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, I could go on and on," Cousy continued. "We must've had the best firemen and plumbers on the planet at the time, and I was very proud to play with all of them."

Bob Cousy is a six-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and a 13-time NBA All-Star. He was elected into the James Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1971 and his no. 14 shirt has been retired by the Celtics.

Cousy is a member of all NBA Anniversary teams (25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th). In 2019, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-president Donald Trump.

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