New Los Angeles Lakers head coach J.J. Redick has denied accusations that he used the “N” word during his college career at Duke.
Redick held his first press conference as Lakers head coach on Monday. On Tuesday, author and speaker Halleemah Nash wrote on There is today [sic] He was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.
Nash did not specify when the alleged incident occurred, but Redick played for Duke from 2002 to 2006. The post was viewed millions of times within hours of being posted.
Redick’s spokesman denied Nash’s allegations Tuesday night. “No, that never happened,” the person told TMZ Sports.
Hours after the original tweet, Nash tweeted again “for context.”
“That was a few years ago, and I believe we all have room to grow — especially from our college-level maturity,” she wrote. “We live in a world where these exchanges happen, where the intersection of race and privilege and a lack of accountability all collide with that stressor.”
Redick, 40, has a 15-year NBA career and has played for teams such as the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. In 2006, he was named the National Collegiate Player of the Year, and Duke University subsequently retired his No. 4 jersey.
Redick retired in 2021 after building a successful media career. He announced that he would be quitting the podcast when he accepted the Lakers job and coached James.
