Fifteen-year NBA veteran JJ Redick announced his retirement Tuesday during his podcast “The Old Man and the Three.”
Redick, 37, spent last season with the Dallas Mavericks and called the experience “a seven-month exercise in coming face to face with my own athletic mortality.”
Separated from his family on the East coast, dealing with COVID-19 protocols, and not playing up to his own standards weighed heavily on Redick’s decision.
“I wanted to give myself some time to reflect and figure out if I wanted to keep playing,” Redick said. “It’s one of the reasons that I told teams that called during free agency that I would decide later on. I didn’t want to commit to anything until I was sure. Well, I have some clarity now, and I know it’s time. It’s time for me to be a dad. It’s time for me to reflect, pause, and it’s time for me to get ready for the next phase of my life.”
✌🏻 🏀 pic.twitter.com/4c0XsZ836u
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) September 21, 2021
The Orlando Magic made Redick the 11th pick in the 2006 Draft.
“As a 7-year-old boy, I dreamed of playing at Duke as I got older. I dreamed of playing in the NBA,” said Redick. “The last 30 years of basketball have been beyond my wildest dreams.”
The six-foot-four guard played six seasons for the Magic, including their 2009 title run.
Redick said he would miss the competition, the routine, and the thrill of playing in front of 20 thousand fans, but most of all, he would miss the relationships he has built and the moments he had with his teammates.
“It’s been a true honor to be in the NBA brotherhood for the last 15 years.”
Redick laced up for six NBA teams—the Magic, the Lob-City Los Angeles Clippers, 76ers, Bucks, Pelicans, and Mavericks.
Redick averaged 12.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and shot 41.5 percent from the 3-point line for his career.
He made a total of 1,950 3-pointers, ranking him 15th in NBA history.