The #6 BEIR usually shoots pretty straight with you. They’re candid, not afraid to speak their minds. It’s refreshing, actually, in a world largely dominated by folks who say one thing and think or do another. At any rate, one rare #6 BEIR in the NBA is JJ Redick of the Philadelphia 76ers. Mr. Redick is married and says he cares a great deal for his family. Yet, he admits how tough it is to be a professional basketball player and a husband and father at the same time.
The side of professional [basketball players] wives that sort of gets glamorized and there’s a perception that their lives are easy. But the reality is for the most part, they’re single parents for nine months out of the year. When I’m on the road, she’s on her own. The night before a game when I’m home, I’m thinking about the game. It’s hard for me to say this and admit this, but I don’t even know if I’m present half the time.”
It was hard for JJ to say, but he said it. Kudos for his honesty. Again he goes on to say:
I really care about my family. I really care about my kids. I really care about my wife. And I really care about their happiness. It’s a part of the decision. If I’m being completely honest, it’s 30 percent winning, it’s 30 percent salary, it’s 30 percent fit or enjoyment of playing/how I think I’ll like playing there. And the other 10 percent is how do I look out for my family and their lifestyle? And my wife wants me to be happy. I think that’s the main thing. She knows how much I put into this, and so she wants me to enjoy playing.
Not the perfect recipe for a great marriage or family life, to be sure. As a result, sadly, most NBA marriages don’t last more than a decade. As Thorin concluded in “The Hobbit” by J.R. Tolkien, “If more people valued home above gold, this world would be a merrier place.”
Written by: Staff
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