Duke basketball legend sets new goals for final years of illustrious career

Duke basketball stars Brandon Ingram and JJ Redick (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Duke basketball stars Brandon Ingram and JJ Redick (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Duke basketball legend JJ Redick set new goals for the final stages of his NBA career.

For the first time in his NBA career, JJ Redick did not make the NBA Playoffs as the New Orleans Pelicans were one of the biggest disappointments inside the NBA’s bubble after the league restarted its season.

However, the 36-year-old has set some new goals and aspirations for the remainder of his NBA career and when he hopes to hang up the sneakers.

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In a recent interview with Mark Medina of USA Today, Redick said, “I realized this year I want to keep playing as long as possible. My goal is to play four more years. Year 18. That’s my goal. I’ll play to 39. Then my offseason, I’ll turn 40, and then I can walk away at that point. That’s my goal. We’ll see. The body has to hold up. But we’ll see.”

JJ Redick gave that answer based on a question surrounding his plans for the offseason since this will be the longest period of time he has had between seasons.

However, shortly after the NBA shut down because of the coronavirus, Redick appeared on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt and said his goal was to finish inside the Top-10 in made 3-pointers in NBA history before he retires.

Obviously, these two goals go hand-in-hand as the longer Redick plays, the more 3-pointers he will hit, thus raising his positioning on the made 3-pointers list.

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JJ Redick currently has 1,884 3-pointers in his NBA career, which places him at No. 14 on the all-time list.

When will the Duke basketball superstar reach his goals?

Here comes the interesting question because the NBA is now a 3-point driven league, and the best shooters in the world are right behind JJ Redick.

First things first, Ray Allen has made the most 3-pointers of all time with 2,973, and active players such as Steph Curry, Kyle Korver, and James Harden are trying to chase Allen’s record.

J.R. Smith, who was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers before entering the bubble, has made 1,930 3-pointers, 46 more than Redick, and it seems as if Redick will be in the league longer than Smith and will eventually catch him.

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Smith is No. 13 on the list, and Jason Kidd is at No. 10 with 1,988 3-pointers, 104 more than Redick, which the former Blue Devil will certainly catch, as soon as next season, pending the league plays 82 games, although Redick made 180 3-pointers in 60 games in 2019-20.

However, LeBron James, Klay Thompson, and Damian Lillard are right behind Redick, trailing the former ACC Player of the Year by nine, 86, and 108 3-pointers, respectfully.

So when JJ Redick does make the Top-10 made 3-pointers in NBA history, how long will he be there for?