Dominique Wilkins slams JJ Redick: 'It's a stupid comment to make' / News - Basketnews.com

JJ Redick had previously said that the pressure shooters have to deal with today is greater than what Larry Bird had to deal with. Dominique Wilkins thinks it's a stupid comment to make and called Redick's statement idiotic.

Credit: YouTube/ESPN, AP - Scanpix Credit YouTube/ESPN, AP - Scanpix

JJ Redick has recently made comments about Larry Bird that angered Dominique Wilkins.

Dominique Wilkins

Position:SFAge:63Height:203 cmWeight:104 kgBirth place:Paris, FranceProfileNewsStatistics

Redick went on ESPN to argue about Stephen Curry and the way current shooters have to play. During the show, the former NBA guard made a point to Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo that current sharpshooters have to deal with much more defensive pressure than their counterparts in the 1980s.

"When I watch Steph Curry, for example, off the ball in a playoff game, he's getting grabbed and held by Marcus Smart. They're attached to him at all times," Redick said.

"When I watch Larry Bird come off a pindown and no one's within five feet of him and they're shooting the gap, you're telling me one is more physical than the other? You're telling me that's more physical than Stephen Curry being grabbed and held for 48 minutes?" Redick asked Russo.

When the discussion was mentioned to Dominique Wilkins on the SiriusXM NBA Radio show, the Hall of Famer was noticeably dissatisfied with Redick's comments.

"First of all, Redick doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. He doesn't what the hell he's talking about. What basketball were you watching? To say something as idiotic as that is ridiculous," Wilkins said.

"The physicality that was part of the league... When you can put your hand on the guy, hit him, make him go a certain way, you can put that elbow on his chest to slow him up, which we call slowing the guy up when you're coming down the lane... Not so many guys can deal with that kind of pressure," the Hall of Famer explained. "For JJ Redick who's played this game, I'm very disappointed that he's said something so stupid."

Nique later detailed that Redick's argument doesn't seem strong to him due to big men, including the small forwards that Larry Bird was, naturally receiving more contact due to playing closer to the rim.

"This is the thing I'm having a problem with. Bird was a big guy who got bumped all the time. He played around the basket more than the guards played around the basket.I don't understand the logic for him saying that when clearly those big guys, even the big guys today, they get touched a little bit more than the little guys because they're around the basket," Wilkins said. "It just doesn't make sense."

To finish off his response, Dominique slammed Redick for conflicting the previous generation of basketball players with this one.

"This is the thing I hate the most - we had our time, it was a great time, it's their time now, don't crap on us to prove your point. It doesn't make sense and it's not valid," Wilkins said. "They look at guys like Sam [Mitchell] and myself and they just say 'these old guys are hating'. No, I'm not hating. I don't hate on these guys, these guys are great. I just don't like the disrespect."

"To say that about Larry Bird? Less physicality? Is he stupid? It's just a stupid comment to make," the Hall of Famer commented. "Then it got nothing to do with Steph Curry or Larry. It's the content. It doesn't make sense, he should know better than that. I don't care what he feels about me and what his response might be. When I hear that, 'you really don't know, do you?'"

JJ Redick's debate with Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo:

Dominique Wilkins' full answer:

Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.