LA Lakers legend Michael Cooper is the newest to name out JJ Redick’s feedback about physicality throughout Larry Fowl and Steph Curry’s period. The ESPN analyst argued that Fowl and Curry mainly must undergo the identical sort of defensive ways to attain regardless of taking part in eras aside.

On his podcast, “Showtime with Coop,” the five-time NBA champ ripped Redick:

“That man has no clue of how basketball was performed within the 80s and I assure you this JJ Redick. In case you had performed within the 80s… I might’ve locked your a— up. You wouldn’t have gotten a shot off, you wouldn’t have gotten nothing off.“

JJ Redick’s oversimplification of the physicality between the ’80s and in the present day’s NBA riled up two former greats of the sport. The league had totally different guidelines again then. Gamers had extra leeway to try to comprise opponents.

A tough foul throughout Larry Fowl’s period would have simply merited an ejection, if not a suspension, in in the present day’s NBA. There was extra holding, grabbing and unlawful screen-settings again then. Since early the 2000s, the league has been implementing measures to guard gamers, particularly these taking part in offense.

Michael Cooper, the 1986-87 Defensive Participant of the Yr winner, had quite a few battles with the Boston Celtics nice within the ’80s. In most of their legendary championship video games, it was “Coop” who had the enviable activity of locking down one of many NBA’s best gamers.

Cooper knew what it took to try to comprise Fowl. Nonetheless, he, the LA Lakers and a lot of the NBA couldn’t do a lot in opposition to “Larry Legend” in his peak. Right here’s what he needed to say about Reddick’s comparability between the Corridor of Famer and Curry:

“JJ Redick, this child right here who was a journeyman, he was a poor man’s Danny Ainge. In in the present day’s NBA, I do not what sport he is taking a look at; you may’t contact a man. Anytime you contact anyone, a 3-point shooter, come near them after they’re touchdown, it is a foul.

“Larry Fowl was one of many best shooters that ever performed the sport. Fu*okay percentages, it ain’t about that. It is about hitting massive pictures. That man, man.”

Like Michael Cooper, Dominique Wilkins didn’t maintain again on JJ Redick’s evaluation

Dominique Wilkins, who was the Atlanta Hawks’ greatest participant in Larry Fowl’s greatest years, performed in the identical convention because the Boston Celtics nice. And like Michael Cooper, he additionally couldn’t maintain again his passionate rebuttal of JJ Redick’s evaluation.

Right here’s Wilkins additionally lashing out at JJ Redick for his sizzling tackle SiriusXM NBA:

“To start with, Redick don’t know what the hell he’s speaking about. I’m like, what basketball was he watching? To say one thing as idiotic as that’s ridiculous.

“The physicality that was a part of the league. … I simply don’t just like the disrespect. To say that about Larry Fowl — much less bodily — is (Redick) silly? It’s only a silly remark to make.”

After all of the backlash, Redick refused to again down from his feedback. In his podcast “The Outdated Man and the Three,” he responded to Michael Cooper and Dominique Wilkins:

“I didn’t disrespect Larry Fowl. I questioned the narrative round physicality. I stated for each montage video you may present me of Larry Fowl being in a headlock beneath the basket, I can present you a montage video of him taking pictures open jumpers. Of him coming off pin-downs.

“Yeah, I can present Steph the identical approach. I can present Steph getting held, I can present Larry getting held. It’s all basketball.”