ESPN reports that J.J. Redick called his former college coach on Monday morning to wish him Happy Holidays. Coach K's response? He gave his former star athlete advice on how to succeed in the NBA.
We may not know what exactly Coach K said to Redick, but it certainly boosted his confidence. That night, the old Blue Devil dropped 20 points against another former Duke star, Carlos Boozer, and the Utah Jazz. He shot 7-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range.
Redick may not be enjoying the same level of success in the NBA as during his time at Duke, but he’s shown signs of brilliance as a sharp shooter for the Magic. He hit five three-pointers in a career-high 27-point effort against the Toronto Raptors in November. He currently ranks eighth in 3-point field goal percentage in the NBA, ahead of All-Stars such as Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki.
Redick’s NBA career may be inconsistent, however, his effort and energy on the court has bought him the favor of Magic head Coach Stan Van Gundy.
“On top of the confidence, the guy is just so focused and tough,” Van Gundy told ESPN after Monday night’s game. “He’s on top of everything. He’s a guy you can trust defensively, he plays with great energy offensively. He’s certainly, heck, I don’t know, I don’t think he’s the fastest guy we have in the sprint. But he runs harder and gets down the floor better than anyone we have.”
Overall, Redick has averaged 9.5 points and 1.9 assists per game this season with the Magic.
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