New Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick has been accused of directing the N-word at an African-American woman while attending Duke in the early 2000s.
The accusation was made in a social media post by businesswoman Halleemah Nash.
“Only a white man has said the N-word to my face once in my life and it was on the Duke University campus while I was working with the basketball team,” Nash wrote Tuesday in X. “And today he was named new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world.’
Redick, 40, was named head coach of the Lakers earlier this week.
Neither his agent nor Lakers spokespersons responded to DailyMail.com’s request for comment on Tuesday night. However, a spokesperson for Redick has denied the claim. TMZ: ‘No, it never happened.’
JJ Redick has been accused of using the N-word at a woman while attending Duke
Nash (pictured) claims Redick called her the N-word while working with Duke Basketball.
Nash has not responded to DailyMail.com’s request for more information.
According to Nash’s LinkedIn page, he coordinated a ‘Blue Devil Inner City Youth Project’ with the Duke basketball team between August 2003 and August 2004.
Redick has been a controversial choice to replace the fired Darvin Ham in Los Angeles because the former Duke star and outspoken NBA guard has no coaching experience. In fact, since he retired in 2021, Redick has worked primarily in the media, calling games for ESPN and even doing a podcast with Lakers star LeBron James.
“I’ve never coached in the NBA before,” Redick joked at Monday’s news conference. “I don’t know if you guys have heard that.”
Redick has denied having any contact with James about the coaching job in Los Angeles, which was first offered to Connecticut coach Dan Hurley.
The accusation was made in a social media post by businesswoman Halleemah Nash.
On Monday, Redick said he didn’t mind being the Lakers’ second option after Hurley rejected the team earlier this month.
“At no time were my ego or feelings hurt or bruised in any way,” Redick said. ‘Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn. I am a two-time 55 Swish League champion in the third and fourth grade division. I got it, you know?
Born in Cookeville, Tennessee, Reddick and his wife Chelsea Kilgore have two children.
He graduated from Duke in 2006.