More than five years ago, J.J. Redick arrived at Duke as an 18-year-old freshman. He walked into head coach Mike Krzyzewski's office and the coach asked him what his personal goals were for the next four years.
He looked Krzyzewski in the eye and said, "I want my jersey to hang in the rafters."
Relating that story Sunday afternoon, during the ceremony to retire his No. 4 jersey, Redick got a little choked up. The 9,314 fans in Cameron Indoor Stadium roared while he caught his composure.
The two-time National Player of the Year had vowed before beginning his speech that his goal was not to cry, but it seemed as though the enormity of the moment and the honor had caught up to him.
"This is something that I crazily dreamed about years ago. There were probably a couple years there where I didn't think it was actually going to happen, so today is really a special day for me," Redick said before the game. "Every time now that I walk into Cameron, it's going to mean something more to me."
Although the Blue Devils ultimately lost to Florida State, Sunday afternoon's halftime festivities were a fitting tribute to the man who scored more points than any player in Duke or ACC history.
Moments before the game, Redick walked out to his seat behind the Duke bench in a navy suit, with a white shirt and dark tie. He was feted by the Cameron faithful with the "J.J. Redick! Dynamite!" cheer that had rung through the building so many times when he was a player.
Seconds later, loud cheers also greeted Grant Hill-Redick's Orlando Magic teammate whose No. 33 also graces the stadium's rafters-when he walked in with his wife and child. During the game, Redick sat next to his father and close to Hill, who had teased Redick all week that he would cry during the ceremony.
At halftime, Director of Athletics Joe Alleva spoke first, introducing Redick's parents, President Richard Brodhead and Krzyzewski's wife, Mickie. He then listed Redick's accomplishments before yielding to Brodhead.
Brodhead congratulated Redick-"thought by some to be named J.J. Redick Dynamite," Brodhead said-on the jersey retirement, and then told a story about seeing Redick walk into the Allen Building for Italian class every day. He congratulated Redick in Italian before Redick began his acceptance speech.
"It feels so good to be home," Redick said to open his speech, drawing standing applause from the crowd. He pretended to wipe away a tear, and then smiled at Hill, who was standing next to Mike Gminski-another jersey retiree, in town to do color commentary for FSN's TV broadcast.
"There are a lot of things I miss," Redick said before the game. "I think the thing that happens on a game-by-game basis that I miss is just the atmosphere. Walking back into Cameron and hearing the band and the students, that's special."
Later, on the court, Redick finished talking and then hugged his father as he watched the black cloth drop off the banner in the rafters commemorating his jersey retirement.
"There are just too many emotions to really describe," the life-long Duke fan said before the game. "When I was growing up, Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley, those guys were my idols. They were the guys I tried to emulate. It is very special for me to be associated with all of those players."
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