Richard Jefferson throws playful jab at J.J. Redick after news of his interview with Raptors breaks

By Jason Simpson
Updated: May 10, 2023

Former NBA journeymen Richard Jefferson and J.J. Redick have both become prominent analysts in the media world after retiring from the league.

They often work together during ESPN broadcasts, and Redick’s ability to break down games has caused many NBA fans to gain a lot of respect for him. Fans seemingly aren’t alone in that regard, as the Toronto Raptors recently decided to bring him in for an interview as part of their coaching search.

Once news of the interview broke, Jefferson took the chance to throw a friendly jab at his co-worker.

Listen any team would be lucky to get @jj_redick. I will say this, of all the teams I would pick for him, I think the best fit would be one in another country far away from me! https://t.co/SqgbWzAhgt

— Richard Jefferson (@Rjeff24) May 10, 2023

It’s certainly all love between the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers champion and Redick. The two players crossed paths in the NBA countless times as opponents and are now on the same team at ESPN.

News of Redick’s interview with the Raptors has caught some fans off guard, especially since folks have started to grow accustomed to his role in the media world. He has proven himself as a smart basketball mind, but it’s worth noting that he doesn’t have any coaching experience at all at the NBA level.

The Raptors are looking for a new head coach after firing Nick Nurse earlier this year. The organization is looking to turn a new page following a disappointing 2022-23 season in which it posted a 41-41 record.

If any team were to hire Redick as head coach, it would certainly qualify as something of an experiment. Although he spent many seasons in NBA locker rooms as a veteran leader, there’s nothing quite like true coaching experience, which is often gained through years of working as an assistant. He’d be tasked with learning on the fly as a new head coach.

As a player, the 38-year-old spent 15 seasons in the NBA and established himself as an all-time great shooter. He knocked down 41.5 percent of his shots from deep during his career.

He never won a ring, but if he were to get into the coaching game, he’d have a chance to check that box in a new way.

The fact that he agreed to interview for the Raptors job seemingly indicates that he at least has some level of interest in eventually joining the coaching ranks, so that’ll be something to monitor even if Toronto ultimately hires someone else.