Redick Brings More Than Shooting to Orlando

By: Melanie Curtsinger

Rarely does an individual have an attribute that allows them to be revered by so many, yet causes them to be the target of so much hostility from so many more.

For J.J. Redick, however, that concept is not foreign at all. In fact, his 'cockiness,' his 'swagger,' his seemingly endless supply of thick skin may be what sealed the deal on his No. 11 selection in the 2006 NBA Draft.

In other words, keep that swagger, J.J.

"It's just kind of natural for me to play with a little bit of a swagger on the court," Redick said. "I developed that at an early age, and it is the reason I have been able to survive in this game for so long and excel at it, because I play with an edge and a chip on my shoulder."

That chip may stem from the fact that, while he has received basketball accolades his whole life, he is still one of the most criticized athletes in the game. Even before he won the Naismith College Player of the Year award this year as a senior at Duke, following in the ranks of Tim Duncan, Elton Brand and new teammate Jameer Nelson, Redick was a McDonald's All-American and three-time Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year. He has been called the 'face of college basketball,' the 'most recognizable name in the draft,' yet he still faced a contingency of boos when his name was called by David Stern on draft night from a crowd made up of mostly Knicks fans.

Or as Redick put it, he got 'booed relentlessly at the draft - and it’s not even a freaking sporting event.'

But, of course, he was quick to add, "To be honest with you, I loved every minute of it. I had a smile on my face."

Redick may use that wry smile, that chip on his shoulder, to silence his critics, but he likes to keep his answering that way - strictly on the court.

"I'm not a person who says I told you so or anything like that, and frankly I am always going to have critics," Redick said. "I am really just like any other athlete - we live in a society that criticizes a lot and analyzes things and that's just the way it is."

Yet here he is, no matter what opposing fans have said to him in the stands at games, no matter how many times he has had to prove himself over and over again, Redick is now an NBA lottery pick, something those disgruntled fans and questioning media cannot take away.

"I don't want to get caught up in that," Redick said of his critics. "But I am very excited to be a lottery pick. When Coack K recruited me six years ago to come to Duke, he told me 'J.J., if you stay four years at Duke, I'll help you be a lottery pick.' And he did."

Now, Redick may be facing a whole new set of doubters on the NBA level - can he shoot from NBA range? Can he defend the best of the best? Can he create his own shot? - but just as he has his entire life, rest assured that Redick will do everything in his will to once again prove that he belongs.

"I kind of use it all as motivation - as fuel. I don't read everything in the media, but I have a lot of friends and family that do read a lot of stuff and they sometimes report back to me. The media is what it is and they're great."

So while fans of Orlando Magic hope his shooting expertise can make the transition from the college ranks over into the NBA, here's hoping that his swagger comes right along with it.