CAM NEWTON QUESTIONS WHY LAKERS’ JJ REDICK, TOM BRADY GET TO ‘SKIP THE LINE’

On Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Lakers officially introduced former NBA sniper JJ Redick to be the next head coach of the league’s most storied franchise following the firing of Darvin Ham and his staff earlier this offseason. Redick’s only head coaching experience before this is leading an elementary school basketball team, but his work both in the NBA as well as in broadcasting for ESPN recently–combined with a podcast he launched with Lakers star LeBron James last season–made him a legitimate candidate for the position in the eyes of the Los Angeles brass.

Still, not everyone is so convinced that Redicks’ skin tone didn’t also have something to do with the decision.

Recently, podcaster and former NFL quarterback Cam Newton took to the “4th and 1” podcast to shed his perspective on the situation.

“You do understand somebody has to tell truth to power here, when are we going to see some minorities skip the line, is it that we’re not qualified? I’m thinking about a guy like Shane Battier, Jamal Crawford, Tim Duncan, look I’m not hating on JJ Redick, I’m just trying to expose the truth in America,” said Newton, via 4th & 1 with Cam Newton on YouTube.

Newton also referenced some examples in other sports when it comes to announcing.

“…Richard Sherman, Randy Moss, Charles Woodson, Louis Riddick, they all had opportunities on Monday Night Football, Prime Time Football. Yes, yes they did but neither one of them combined could have the opportunity that the one Tony Romo, the one Troy Aikman, the one Tom Brady had combined,” noted Newton. “You put all their contracts together and it still doesn’t accumulate to one, that’s all I’m saying here ladies and gentleman. I’m not mad, stop saying that, I’m just telling you what the truth is. They’re not the only one that’s capable of being cerebral about basketball, about football. I’ve seen Tom Brady on The Herd, Colin Cowherd loved it loved it, loved it, but bro the reality is we all know ball.”

While Doc Rivers, Isiah Thomas, Mark Jackson, Jason Kidd, Derek Fisher, and other minority NBA head coaches were hired without prior experience, Newton’s assertion remains a very real issue in America.

Will the Redick hire work out?

Listening to JJ Redick speak about basketball on one of his many platforms makes it clear that he is fully aware of how the game has rapidly modernized in the past decade or so and how analytics truly are the new wave, as evidenced by the analytically compiled Boston Celtics recently hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

However, there are some concerns about how Redick might handle the pressure that comes with taking on the most heavily scrutinized job in professional sports in front of a fan base that has been documented on more than one occasion sending death threats to players and front office members alike when they aren’t performing up to standard.

In any case, the Lakers will now complete the draft process before turning their attention to free agency next week.

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The post Cam Newton questions why Lakers’ JJ Redick, Tom Brady get to ‘skip the line’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

2024-06-27T19:19:41Z dg43tfdfdgfd