Michael Redd returns to Ohio roots after NBA career
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BVM) — Until Giannis Antetokounmpo came along, Michael Redd was probably the most popular name amongst Bucks fans of the 2000s.
Prior to the success of the Ohio State men’s basketball program under Thad Matta, Redd was also one of the top Buckeyes to play in his era.
Growing up, Redd first came on the radar during his standout career at Columbus West High School. His play there earned him a chance to play at the Division I college level. Despite many offers, Redd stayed home to play with the Buckeyes, hoping to be a part of the program’s turnaround. His career at Ohio State certainly lived up to that billing.
During the 1997-98 season, Redd led the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 21.9 points per game. He followed it up by helping lead the Buckeyes — far from the powerhouse they are today at the time — to the Final Four in his sophomore year.
After another terrific junior year at Ohio State, Redd opted for the NBA Draft, where he was selected No. 43 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. Typically in the NBA, second-round picks don’t make much of an impact. However, Redd was truly an exception.
In his rookie season, Redd only played in a handful of games. However, he did get to experience his greatest taste of success while in the NBA, as the Bucks made it all the way to the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals, falling in seven games to Allen Iverson and the 76ers.
Redd began receiving more playing time during the 2001-02 season. By the following campaign, the shooting guard played in all 82 games, averaging over 15 points. As the Bucks traded Ray Allen late in that season — perhaps in part due to Redd’s emergence — it was the second round pick’s time to shine.
In 2003-04, Redd averaged 21.7 points per game and earned an All-Star nod, the final All-Star the Bucks would have for over a decade until Giannis came along. Redd continued to emerge as one of the league’s most lethal scorers throughout the next several seasons, and was a member of Team USA’s gold-medal winning squad in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
However, injuries finally began to take their toll shortly after. In January 2009, Redd tore both his ACL and MCL in his left knee during a game against the Lakers. After returning the following year, he heartbreakingly tore both ligaments in the same knee yet again.
Redd played in just 28 games across his final two seasons with the Bucks. He went on to play one season for the Phoenix Suns where he averaged just 8.4 points per game, struggling to find his old form. After 12 seasons in the league, Redd decided to hang it up in November 2013.
Redd’s pro career may have been shorter than it should have been, but he still made a tremendous impact, particularly on the Bucks’ franchise. After basketball, he has continued to make a similar impact back home in Ohio.
Back while he was still playing in 2008, the Ohio State alum founded a non-profit called The Wave, focusing on entrepreneurship and economic development. After retirement, Redd expanded the firm by founding The Wave Innovation Group. He has since invested in over 80 different companies across the world.
Shortly after retirement in 2014, Redd also became a partner at NCT Ventures, a firm based in Columbus which provides financial backing for entrepreneurs across the Midwest.
Teaming up with John Weaver and Madeline McIntyre, Redd invested in the startup of 22 Ventures — since rebranded as Twenty Two — which is another firm that focuses on developing entrepreneurship. Most recently through the organization, Redd has invested in a local YogaSix studio — a yoga franchise developed nearly a decade ago in California.
Finally, Redd is also a venture partner at ADvantage Sports Tech Fund, which invests in early-stage technology companies aimed at changing the future of sports.
Throughout his impressive post-basketball business portfolio, Redd has still found time to spend with his wife, Achea, and their two kids. Achea has also found many ways to give back to the Columbus community through her commitment to solving mental health issues.
One of her biggest projects was launching the “On Our Sleeves” campaign which formed a partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, aiming to eliminate negativity surrounding mental illness. The Redds donated $25,000 to this cause.
Michael is one of many former players who have recently bucked the trend of former pro athletes suffering financial losses after retirement. However, he does still stay in tune with his former employer and finds time to better the Bucks’ organization as a whole.
This past September, Michael competed in the Bucks Foundation golf outing, a cause which seeks to promote assisting underserved populations. Of course, Michael also returned throughout the Bucks’ championship run last season, supporting his former franchise while also being recognized during games and during the team’s championship parade.
Bucks Legend Michael Redd is at @FiservForum!! pic.twitter.com/oKSq1JDlrg
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 15, 2021
Back home in Ohio, Michael also continues to earn recognition and opportunity. During his playing career in 2009, the former Buckeye was named to the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. Keeping up with his alma mater throughout the last decade as well, Michael was given the chance to give a commencement address to Ohio State graduates during a virtual graduation ceremony in the summer of 2020.
Throughout Michael’s life, he has created a story anyone can look up to. Going to college to play for a struggling program, he led the Buckeyes to the Final Four. A second-round pick seen as a bit of an underdog entering the NBA, he became an All-Star. After injuries derailed the end of his pro career, he has found ways to be successful after basketball. Sometimes you may get kicked down, but the key is bouncing back up, and the former Buckeye’s story is a perfect example.
