Bob Cousy fires back at J.J. Redick: ‘I guess [Wilt Chamberlain] must have fought fires as well’

After J.J Redick recently took a shot at the level of competition faced by Bob Cousy, the NBA Hall of Famer delivered a sarcastic response back.

Redick was asked on ESPN’s “First Take” program if Cousy was better than current Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul guard and decided to ridicule the contemporary players that Cousy faced.

“He was being guarded by plumbers and firemen,” Redick said.

Cousy then responded by noting that one of his opponents was the iconic Wilt Chamberlain.

Redick may be correct in saying that the players currently in the NBA have more collective talent compared to that of Cousy’s era. However, his dismissive insult fails to take into account the abilities possessed by countless players from the 1950s and ’60s.

Cousy played with the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963 and made a brief seven-game comeback with the Cincinnati Royals (now Sacramento Kings) during the 1969-70 season.

As a member of the Celtics, Cousy established himself as one of the greatest ball-handlers ever and helped them win six NBA titles.

Players that Cousy competed against include Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Bob Pettit. All three players are considered to be among the greatest in NBA history.

In contrast to Cousy, Paul has struggled to lead his different teams to an NBA title. Last season, his Suns squad reached the Finals before losing in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Cousy is likely even more annoyed by the fact that while Redick was a talented player, he’s not likely to be under consideration for any accolades from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Current players criticizing the contributions of those that precede them is something that takes place in all sports. In this particular case, one opinion stung hard enough for Cousy to offer his own response.