The role of luck in winning an NBA championship remains a key area of interest amongst basketball enthusiasts. Amidst the varied viewpoints surrounding the matter, JJ Redick recently expressed his thoughts. The 39-year-old destroyed the ‘asterisk’ narrative around securing rings while adding volume to the impact of excellence, taking the example of LeBron James to prove his point.
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In the latest episode of The Old Man and The Three podcast, Redick refused saying that luck had a salient role to play. Describing how basketball was an “aggregate of a series of plays”, the former Orlando Magic star downplayed the influence of flukes. Furthermore, he emphasized how the opposition player injuries never provided an opportunity for the winning teams as the latter still had to secure a victory.
Following this, Redick used his 2009 NBA Finals run with the Magic as a reference to elaborate on his standpoint. He candidly admitted the randomness and chaos surrounding the journey while highlighting specific instances. Yet, the 6ft 4″ icon refused to give any credit to luck while pointing out the impact of basketball acumen in certain moments.
Soon, he addressed the narratives around the active players while using LeBron James and Luka Doncic as examples. “There was nothing lucky about LeBron James winning a championship in the bubble in 2020. There was nothing lucky about Luka Doncic leading the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference finals. You gotta play the game, you beat the team…So, here is the thing, it’s either all luck or hear me out here, it’s just part of basketball,” he mentioned.
Known for his analytical mind, Redick expectedly backed the influence of repetition and intelligence in winning rings. His firm viewpoint on the discussion displayed his belief in how teams might secure championships purely by controlling the controllables. However, several NBA viewers certainly disagree with his statements, paving the way for one of the most heated debates in recent times.
Despite JJ Redick’s comments, concerns remain over LeBron James
The bubble championship win of the Los Angeles Lakers under the leadership of James continues to spark debates to this day. The opinions about the run have divided the NBA fanbase into two, hinting at the seriousness of the discussion. Interestingly, Steve Kerr had previously promoted a similar narrative as Redick, justifying the triumph of the LA organization.
During an appearance on 95.7 The Game in June 2020, the Golden State Warriors head coach mentioned, “The one thing I feel really strongly about is a championship under these conditions is gonna count. People are gonna want to put an asterisk next to it. There’s no asterisk in my mind. This is gonna be a brutally difficult journey to try and win a title”.
However, several notable names voiced a different opinion during that time. As per the Los Angeles Times, Charles Barkley deemed the conditions as “too dangerous”, before Shaquille O’Neal encouraged everyone to “go home”. Tracy McGrady joined the narrative soon after, demanding the league to call off the season.
These statements from the basketball greats have often diminished the impact of James’ 2020 championship win. So, the standpoints over the situation, whether fortunately or unfortunately, continue to vary adding more layers to the entertaining nature of the game.
