“I Wept to My Mother…It Is Like a Death”: Lost NBA Memories Triggered JJ Redick’s Grief, Bares Haunting Struggles

“When you get to that moment, it is like a death and it is a grieving process.” Bidding farewell to a longtime association is never easy. For most athletes, it is their sport. Speaking on similar lines, JJ Redick opened up on the phase when the hard choice was knocking on his door. From being one of the most hated athletes in college to being a brilliant role player for various teams, Redick left his mark on the game. But moving on was difficult for him.

Appearing on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Redick faced the question of whether he struggled to transition from the NBA to retirement. The ex-Orlando Magic guard stated it was a video of his youngest son running down the stairs to the Christmas tree that helped him make the decision. But prior to that, he was having trouble the entire season. While he started the season with the New Orleans Pelicans, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in March 2021, where he played the final 13 games of his career.

He stated. “… I wept to my mother, I just want to go home. She said to me, ‘Well, why? Why can’t you?’ And I said, because I can’t let go… I didn’t want to let go of that part of my ego… I didn’t want to let go of that part of my identity,” Redick said. The 39-year-old further stated he can remember games from high school, college, and even a random Wednesday night in Washington when he played for Orlando. But he does not remember that last year.

He mentioned he does not remember who all he played that year., including the Chicago Bulls. “I just completely zoned out, and it took a couple months with my performance coach therapist to get to the point where I could let go of that part of me,” JJ Redick stated on the show.

The ex-Magic star described that phase as the most confusing and scary thing. It is surprising though how some other NBA athletes have had different approaches and yet a similar feeling towards the retirement phase.

Some other NBA stars opening up on retirement

After playing 18 seasons in the NBA, Pau Gasol announced his retirement at 41. This came after playing for FC Barcelona, the team from which he started his professional basketball career. However, he did not state the moment to be sad but a happy one.

The reason for this, as per an article by The New York Times, was that he took time to gather his thoughts. During this, he found peace in his 18 seasons, championship wins, and time spent with Kobe Bryant. “I’m not saying it’s easy… There are times when you still feel like you should start or play significant minutes. But life moves on, and now it’s someone else’s turn,” he stated as per the article.

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However, not everyone gets the luxury of bidding farewell to the game with such composed thoughts. The same article by the NY Times mentioned that Jamal Crawford, even today, faces difficulty figuring out how his career came to an end.

Jamal had a rough phase after the LA Clippers parted ways with him. However, he had his hopes high after helping the Minnesota Timberwolves reach the playoffs for the first time since 2004. But he still went unsigned as a free agent until the Phoenix Suns offered him a one-year contract. Retirement hits hard to everyone.

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