Reddick apologizes to Kings for Domas-Hali NSFW trade slur originally appeared nbc sports birea
A little over a year after blasting the Kings for trading away “their best player” Tyrese Halliburton on for Domantas Sabonis, NBA analyst JJ Reddick is apologizing for his take.
“I want to be accountable for some of the things I said at the trade deadline last year,” Redick said on his podcast “The Old Man and the Three” on Monday. “In terms of the trade deadline, I did not like the trade. I should not have used the word ‘misconduct’ and I apologize for that.”
“I apologize to the Sacramento Kings fan base and I apologize to Monte McNair for the same. this business Has turned into a win-win.,
It’s a total 180 from what Redick said last year after the blockbuster trade, even as his behavior and projection have changed. The formal apology turned into a 27-minute and 20-second long video in which Reddick admitted he was wrong.
Last season, a very upset and irate Reddick went on to track Sacramento on ESPN after the trade. He later went on to further double down on Kings and Business on his podcast.
“If we look at the counting statistics, yes, De’Aaron Fox is averaging more points, I understand that,” Redick said on his podcast last February. “There really isn’t any statistical measurement that you can look at this season that doesn’t say that Tyrese Halliburton has been the best player for the Kings.
“All comprehensive advanced stats, single metric stats, who’s the best player? It’s been Tyrese. And the second best player on the team for the Kings this year has been Harrison.” [Barnes], This is a fact. I do not tell how many marks a man has on average. That doesn’t mean s–t. Tyrese Halliburton plays basketball the way basketball should be played.”
To be honest, the remainder of the Kings’ 2021-22 season didn’t do them justice as Sabonis only played in 15 games.
They finished 5–10 with Sabonis before going inactive in Sacramento’s final nine contests. But it was all preceded by a series of game-changing moves made by the Kings in the offseason.
Sacramento brought in Mike Brown, Kevin Hueter and Malik Monk added pieces to the puzzle, with rookies Keegan Murray and Fox and Sabonis leading the charge. As a result, the Kings are now one of the top four in the West and on the verge of ending an NBA-record 16-year playoff drought.
“This offense is the No. 1 offense in the league, historic offense,” Reddick said. “It’s been so fun to watch. And so has been the off-season. But I was wrong, and I’ll admit it.
“I love watching this team play.”
Oh how quickly things can change in the NBA.
Redick isn’t the only member of the national media to acknowledge recently that the hype surrounding the Kings is legitimate. We have Stephen A. have seen people like Smith and Kendrick Perkins showing some love to sacramento in recent weeks.
Connected: Why Perk predicted the Kings would make the Western Conference Finals
But Reddick went further than just apologizing, he also said that Sacramento has a “good chance” to end Western Conference Finals If it grabs the No. 2 seed over the Memphis Grizzlies.
He knows what it takes to make a deep push into the playoffs, and believes Fox is fully capable of taking the Kings there, saying that the first-time All-Star “in clutch time this season.” has been f–king awful”.
While Reddick isn’t ready to predict an NBA Finals appearance and win for the Kings this season, he is willing to bet the team will be “tough to beat” in the playoffs.
“The Sacramento Kings: One of the best stories in the NBA,” Reddick said. “I’m super excited about this team, I can’t wait for the playoff games in Sacramento.”
And even though Reddick has been skeptical about the Kings winning this entire year, the conversation surrounding the Kings has certainly come a long way.