Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick has reportedly denied allegations that he used a racial slur directed at a woman during his college career at Duke University.
Redick, who was an NBA shooting guard, was appointed as head coach of the Lakers on Tuesday, taking over the reins from Darvin Ham. The 40-year-old has no prior coaching experience in the league, having previously worked as an analyst for ESPN.
The allegation surfaced shortly after Redick’s inaugural press conference with the Lakers, with Duke alum Halleemah Nash stating the claim on X.
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“I’ve only been called the N-word to my face by a white man once in my life and it was on the campus of Duke University while I was doing work with the basketball team,” she wrote.
“And today he was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.”
Nash, who is an author and former community relations assistant for the Chicago Bulls, added context to her tweet declaring that the alleged incident occurred “years ago”.
“I’m a believer that we all have space to grow – especially from our college-level maturity,” she added.
Redick’s College career with the Duke Blue Devils spanned from 2002 to 2006, where he won National Player of the Year in his senior season before declaring for the NBA draft.
https://twitter.com/halleemah/status/1805634597108998650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Nash’s LinkedIn profile indicates that she worked with the team between 2003 and 2004 as a coordinator of the Blue Devil Inner City Youth Project.
The allegation does not provide evidence as to the exact timing of the incident, however, a spokesperson of Redick’s denied the claim in a statement to TMZ, stating: “No, it never happened.”
Redick began his NBA career with the Orlando Magic in 2006, the first of six teams he would go on to represent. In his 15 seasons in the league, he was part of 14 teams who advanced to the NBA playoffs.
As coach of the Lakers, he will team up with four-time NBA champion LeBron James, with whom he co-hosts a basketball podcast.
James has yet to announce if he will remain with the Lakers next season, despite the team indicating they are still interested in his services.
The 39-year-old has not directly commented on his future in the league, however, is reportedly set to be offered a three-year deal worth around $240 million by the Lakers, according to CBS.