JJ Redick is facing serious charges that he currently denies.
On Tuesday, the day after he was introduced as the Lakers’ new head coach, Redick was accused of using the N-word while in college toward a Duke University graduate.
Haleema Nash, an author, speaker and founder of the startup Rosecrans Ventures, posted on X on Tuesday that she was called the N-word face to face at Duke University, and freely claimed that the word came from Reddick’s mouth.
“I’ve only had a white man call me the N-word once in my life, to my face, when I was working for the basketball team on the campus of Duke University. And today he’s been named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.”
But Redick’s camp He told TMZ He never said that.
“No, that did not happen,” Reddick’s spokesman told the outlet.
The Lakers and Duke University did not respond to The Washington Post’s requests for comment.
Nash said, According to her website“We have room to grow,” he added in another tweet about four hours later, after earning a master’s of divinity degree and a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University.
“To provide some context, this was years ago and I believe we all have room to grow, especially given the maturity at the collegiate level. We live in a world where these kinds of interactions happen and race and privilege and a lack of accountability all collided in this press conference.”
Redick was a four-year starter at Duke University from 2002-06, where he had a prolific collegiate career and was named Naismith College Player of the Year in 2006 as the top men’s basketball player.
Redick takes over as coach of the Lakers after the team fired Darvin Ham after two seasons after 15 years in the NBA.
“This process has been surreal, to say the least,” Redick said. “I take this responsibility very seriously. … The Lakers have the most passionate fans in the world and they are expected to win championships, so it’s my job to build a championship-caliber team. That’s what I signed up for.”
