When JJ Redick signed with Philadelphia in free agency in 2017, many of the local media accounts focused on how the guard, then 33 years old, surely would be able to help one of the NBA’s youngest teams as a leader and presence in the 76ers’ locker room. Redick appreciated receiving the kind of respect that comes with being deemed a seasoned pro that teammates should look up to, but there also was one missing element to the coverage: Hardly anyone mentioned that Redick was still a very good player on the court.
“They kept talking about this veteran mentor, veteran mentor,” Redick said, with a wry smile.