Michael Cooper lambasts JJ Redick for comments on Larry Bird and Steph Curry: "That guy has no clue of how basketball was played in the 80’s"

LA Lakers legend Michael Cooper is the newest to name out JJ Redick’s feedback about physicality throughout Larry Fowl and Steph Curry’s period. The ESPN analyst argued that Fowl and Curry mainly need to undergo the identical kind of defensive techniques to attain regardless of taking part in eras aside.

On his podcast, “Showtime with Coop,” the five-time NBA champ ripped Redick:

“That man has no clue of how basketball was performed within the 80s and I assure you this JJ Redick. In the event you had performed within the 80s… I’d’ve locked your a— up. You would not have gotten a shot off, you would not have gotten nothing off.

JJ Redick’s oversimplification of the physicality between the ’80s and at this time’s NBA riled up two former greats of the sport. The league had totally different guidelines again then. Gamers had extra leeway to attempt to include opponents.

A tough foul throughout Larry Fowl’s period would have simply merited an ejection, if not a suspension, in at this time’s NBA. There was extra holding, grabbing and unlawful screen-settings again then. Because the early 2000s, the league has been implementing measures to guard gamers, particularly these taking part in offense.

Michael Cooper, the 1986-87 Defensive Participant of the 12 months winner, had quite a few battles with the Boston Celtics nice within the ’80s. In most of their legendary championship video games, it was “Coop” who had the enviable process of locking down one of many NBA’s biggest gamers.

Cooper knew what it took to attempt to include Fowl. Nevertheless, he, the LA Lakers and a lot of the NBA could not do a lot towards “Larry Legend” in his peak. This is what he needed to say about Reddick’s comparability between the Corridor of Famer and Curry:

“JJ Redick, this child right here who was a journeyman, he was a poor man’s Danny Ainge. In at this time’s NBA, I do not what sport he is taking a look at; you may’t contact a man. Anytime you contact anyone, a 3- level shooter, come near them after they’re touchdown, it is a foul.

“Larry Fowl was one of many biggest shooters that ever performed the sport. Fu*okay percentages, it ain’t about that. It is about hitting huge pictures. That man, man.”

Like Michael Cooper, Dominique Wilkins did not maintain again on JJ Redick’s evaluation

Dominique Wilkins, who was the Atlanta Hawks’ greatest participant in Larry Fowl’s greatest years, performed in the identical convention because the Boston Celtics nice. And like Michael Cooper, he additionally could not maintain again his passionate rebuttal of JJ Redick’s evaluation.

This is Wilkins additionally lashing out at JJ Redick for his scorching tackle SiriusXM NBA:

“To start with, Redick does not know what the hell he is speaking about. I am like, what basketball was he watching? To say one thing as idiotic as that’s ridiculous.

“The physicality that was a part of the league. … I simply do not just like the disrespect. To say that about Larry Fowl — much less bodily — is (Redick) silly? It is only a silly remark to make.”

After all of the backlash, Redick refused to again down from his feedback. In his podcast “The Previous Man and the Three,” he responded to Michael Cooper and Dominique Wilkins:

“I did not disrespect Larry Fowl. I questioned the narrative round physicality. I mentioned for each montage video you may present me of Larry Fowl being in a headlock beneath the basket, I can present you a montage video of him capturing open jumpers. Of him coming off pin-downs.

“Yeah, I can present Steph the identical means. I can present Steph getting held, I can present Larry getting held. It is all basketball.”