New Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick has denied accusations that he used the N-word during his college career at Duke.
Redick held his first press conference as Lakers coach on Monday. Author and speaker on Tuesday Halleemah Nash wrote on X that: “I have only been called the N-word to my face by a white man once in my life, and that was on the campus of Duke University while I was working for the basketball team. And 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. Nash’s LinkedIn page says she worked with the team in 2003 and 2004. The tweet was viewed millions of times in the hours after it was posted.
A spokesperson said this on Tuesday evening Redick denied the accusation. “No, that never happened,” the person told TMZ Sports.
Redick, 40, had a 15-year NBA playing career with teams including the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. He was named national college player of the year in 2006, and Duke later retired his No. 4 jersey.
Redick built a successful media career after retiring from playing in 2021. He was part of the commentary booth for this year’s NBA Finals and co-hosted a popular podcast with LeBron James. He announced he would be leaving the podcast if he accepted the job with the Lakers, where he will coach James.