JJ Redick almost quit basketball during sophomore year at Duke

It's hard to believe that New Orleans Pelicans guard JJ Redick almost quit basketball during his sophomore year at Duke. The 35-year-old opened up about his difficult sophomore year at Duke on the "Pardon My Take" podcast.

"December of that year, I had my sisters meet me on campus, and they came over for dinner, and I was like 'I don't want to play anymore, this is not for me, it's not fun.' I really struggled those first two years — it was really hard for me," Redick said, according to Chris Bengel of CBS Sports.

Many college basketball fans hated Redick during his time at Duke, and he admitted it ultimately took a toll on his mental health.

"It f---ed me up," Redick said. "It forced me to take on a persona that was not me. There are not too many 18-year-old, 19-year-old kids who are really comfortable with who they are. You're still at the point in your life where you are trying to figure things out. Inevitably, I think every male at that age is a little bit of a d-------g, so the confluence of those things made me into this like, maniac on the court."

Redick turned his life around after that and was selected 11th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He has since put together a very successful professional career.

In his 15-year career, Redick is averaging 13.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from three-point range. His best seasons came from 2017-19, as he averaged 17-plus points per game with the Philadelphia 76ers during that span.

Imagine if Redick decided to quit basketball for good? Man, that would've been unfortunate.