JJ Redick has taken over sports media over the last few years.
The 15-year NBA veteran retired from basketball in 2021, joined ESPN a month later, and has had a meteoric rise that includes frequent appearances on "First Take" and the inclusion on the lead NBA broadcast team that will call the NBA Finals in June.
Redick has also built a name for himself outside of ESPN through the evolution of his podcast that started when he was still a player in 2016. That show is now known as "The Old Man and The Three," one of the top sports podcasts in the world, and is created under Redick's media company, ThreeFourTwo Productions.
And last month, he added the podcast "Mind The Game" to his resume, which he hosts alongside NBA great LeBron James. The show has consistently been the No. 1 podcast on Spotify since its inception.
Related: JJ Redick's podcast with LeBron James will test his criticism of basketball media, fans
The amalgamation of things that Redick is doing in sports media has led veteran sports media voice Dan Le Batard to declare that he believes Redick will make more money in his media career than his playing career — even though he made over $116 million during his time in the NBA.
Le Batard has said in the past that Redick is "very smartly" using ESPN and "First Take" as a tool that can showcase him as a basketball genius, which has elevated him quickly in the media space.
On Monday, April 8, Redick actually joined Le Batard to answer a slew of questions — including giving his thoughts about his future income and on the sports media landscape.
Le Batard and his co-host Stugotz asked Redick what he thought about the idea that he'd make more in the media than as a player, and the NBA veteran claimed that he really can't tell if that's what's going to happen.
"That's an interesting take," Redick said. "I haven't really thought about that. I don't know, Dan."
Related: Dan Le Batard explains how JJ Redick is leveraging ESPN, 'First Take' to boost himself
Later in the conversation, Le Batard asked Redick what his biggest qualm was about sports media.
Redick had previously spoken on "First Take" saying that he feels it is his responsibility to educate audiences on basketball — but also wonders whether fans actually would pay attention. His show with James is partly a showcase of that same thought.
In response to Le Batard's question, Redick prefaced by saying that he understands that fans watch "discourse shows," likely referring to the likes of "First Take." He also called Stephen A. Smith "one of the smartest people" he's been around.
But Redick said that his issue is when the discourse strays away from the sport.
"I think what annoys me is that the game gets lost. That the things that I grew up watching, and the things I grew up being talked about, that has been lost," Redick said. "And it's nearly almost universally specific to basketball."
Redick then mentioned the coverage of the rising Women's Basketball to exemplify the problem.
"We have witnessed some of the best performances in recent memory," Redick said. "Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Dawn Staley as a coach, we're in real time witnessing some of the best basketball players and coaches in that sport, in all of basketball. And we've spent two weeks on the b— s—."
Redick didn't expound on what he meant, but it's likely he's referring to the divisive conversations around race and gender in the sport, as well as the unanswerable questions around the greatness of Clark.
Those topics were only a small portion of the nearly half hour long appearance of Redick on "The Dan Le Batard Show." Redick even told a touching story about how he cried on the phone to his mother when he was struggling during the latter part of his career, which ultimately drove him to retirement.
Related: Stephen A. Smith calls out LeBron James for spewing B.S.
