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Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III (born September 9, 1985) is an American former professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA). Smith played high school basketball at
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
basketball powerhouse
Saint Benedict's Preparatory School St. Benedict's Preparatory School is a Catholic college preparatory school in Newark, New Jersey run by the Benedictines. The school serves boys and girls in kindergarten through twelfth grade on a urban campus. The school has been accred ...
in Newark. He entered the NBA out of high school after being selected in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick by the
New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
. He has also played for the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
and
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
, as well as for the
Zhejiang Golden Bulls The Zhejiang Golden Bulls, or Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Rent are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Yiwu in Zhejiang, China. It competes in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), in the Southern Division. Its corporate sponsor is Z ...
of the
Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...
. Smith won two
NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
s, with the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...
in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
and with the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
in
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
. In 2021, Smith enrolled at
North Carolina A&T State University North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...
, where he joined their Aggies golf team. Also in 2021, Smith signed with
Complexity Gaming Complexity Gaming, formerly stylized as compLexity, is an American esports franchise headquartered in Frisco, Texas. The franchise was founded in 2003 by Jason Lake and is co-owned by Lake, real estate investor John Goff, and Dallas Cowboys ...
.


Early life

Born in
Freehold Borough, New Jersey Freehold is a borough and the county seat of Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
, Smith grew up in the Clarksburg section of
Millstone Township, New Jersey Millstone Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located within the Raritan Valley region and is a part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The township was named for the Millstone River (a major tributar ...
. He spent five years in high school. A freshman in 1999–2000, Smith went to Steinert High for the first semester and then McCorristin Catholic High for the next, both in New Jersey. Having not competed in sports for either school, he was permitted to transfer to Lakewood High and repeat his freshman year. He played two seasons of basketball for Lakewood before transferring to
Saint Benedict's Preparatory School St. Benedict's Preparatory School is a Catholic college preparatory school in Newark, New Jersey run by the Benedictines. The school serves boys and girls in kindergarten through twelfth grade on a urban campus. The school has been accred ...
in 2002. Smith was highly rated in
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
and also played
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
. He focused strictly on basketball as a senior. He committed to play college basketball at
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
after a lengthy recruiting battle. However, after winning co-MVP with
Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League. He is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team honoree, five-time All-Defensive Team m ...
at the 2004 McDonald's All-American Game, Smith decided to forgo college and declared for the 2004 NBA draft.


Professional career


New Orleans Hornets (2004–2006)

Smith was selected by the
New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
with the 18th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft. As a rookie, Smith was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month three times (January, February, March) and participated in the 2005 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, finishing third. After averaging 10.3 points in 76 games (56 starts) as a rookie, he averaged 7.7 points in 55 games (25 starts) in 2005–06. Smith fell out of favor with Hornets coach Byron Scott due to a poor work ethic. He began the 2005–06 season as the starting shooting guard and ended it out of the rotation.


Denver Nuggets (2006–2011)

On July 14, 2006, Smith was traded, alongside
P. J. Brown Collier "P. J." Brown Jr. (born October 14, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The , center/ power forward was selected out of Louisiana Tech University by the Ne ...
, to the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...
in exchange for Tyson Chandler. Six days later, he was traded again, this time to the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
in exchange for
Howard Eisley Howard Jonathan Eisley (born December 4, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player and current coach. Born in Detroit, Eisley played college basketball at Boston College and was drafted in 1994 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Eisle ...
and two second-round draft picks. During his first season in Denver, Smith served a 10-game NBA suspension from December 18 to January 8 following his involvement in the Knicks/Nuggets melee at New York's
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
on December 16. He later missed eight games between February 23 and March 11 while recovering from arthroscopic left knee surgery. After struggling in the first four games of the Nuggets' first-round playoff series against the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
, including going 0-for-12 from 3-point range, Smith was benched for Game 5 of the series. Nuggets coach George Karl reportedly had had enough of Smith's mistakes throughout the series, compounded by Smith's 3-pointer with 25.7 seconds left in Game 4 with Denver trailing 93–89. During the 2007–08 season, Smith established career highs for field goal percentage (.461) and 3-point percentage (.403). During the 2008–09 season, he averaged 15.2 points over 81 games (18 starts), finishing second in voting for the
NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substit ...
behind Jason Terry. In February 2009, he participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, finishing third. On April 13, 2009, Smith had a career-high 45 points and franchise-best 11 3-pointers to help the Nuggets clinch the Northwest Division title and home-court edge in the playoffs for the first time in 21 years with a 118–98 win over the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
. On December 23, 2009, Smith scored a season-high 41 points against the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
, becoming the first NBA player ever to record multiple games of 10+ 3-pointers. He finished the 2009–10 season averaging a then career-high 15.4 points per game. In 2010–11, he averaged 12.3 points and 2.2 assists as the Nuggets' sixth man. Smith's tenure with the Nuggets ended in September 2011 due to the
NBA lockout The NBA lockout may refer to any of the four lockouts in the history of the National Basketball Association: *The 1995 NBA lockout, which lasted for three months before the 1995–96 season. *The 1996 NBA lockout, which lasted for a couple of ho ...
. A fan favorite in Denver for his 3-point shooting and electric dunks, Smith often drew the ire of coach George Karl for his befuddling shot selection.


Zhejiang Golden Bulls (2011–2012)

In September 2011, due to the
NBA lockout The NBA lockout may refer to any of the four lockouts in the history of the National Basketball Association: *The 1995 NBA lockout, which lasted for three months before the 1995–96 season. *The 1996 NBA lockout, which lasted for a couple of ho ...
, Smith signed a one-year deal with the
Zhejiang Golden Bulls The Zhejiang Golden Bulls, or Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Rent are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Yiwu in Zhejiang, China. It competes in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), in the Southern Division. Its corporate sponsor is Z ...
of the
Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...
(CBA). In accordance with CBA rules, Smith's contract with the Golden Bulls did not include an opt-out clause that would allow him to return to the NBA following the conclusion of the lockout. His deal was estimated to be worth around $3 million, the highest in league history. In 32 games for Zhejiang, he averaged 34.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.5 steals per game. On February 1, 2012, he scored a season-high 60 points with 14 3-pointers in a 122–110 win over the
Qingdao Eagles The Qingdao Guoxin Haitian Eagle Club, also known as Qingdao Daily Fresh or Qingdao Eagles are a Chinese professional basketball team which is based in Qingdao, Shandong. The club plays in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association ...
. He had four 50+ point games during the season.


New York Knicks (2012–2015)

On February 17, 2012, Smith signed with the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. He appeared in 35 games for the Knicks to finish the regular season, before appearing in all five of the Knicks' postseason games. On July 11, 2012, Smith re-signed with the Knicks. In 2012–13, he averaged a career-high 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists over 33.5 minutes in 80 games off the bench. He earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the period ending March 31, after posting three consecutive 30-point efforts off the bench, becoming the first NBA player to accomplish the feat in over 23 years. He was subsequently named the
NBA Sixth Man of the Year The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substitu ...
, becoming just the third player in franchise history to win the award, joining Anthony Mason and
John Starks John Levell Starks (born August 10, 1965) is an American former professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career. Although he was undrafted in the 1988 NBA draft after attending four ...
. On July 11, 2013, Smith re-signed with the Knicks. He missed the first five games of the 2013–14 season for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy. On March 26, he hit nine 3-pointers against the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
, tying the Knicks' franchise record. On April 4, he scored a season-high 32 points with eight 3-pointers in a 90–89 loss to the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
. Two days later, in a 102–91 loss to the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
, Smith broke an NBA record of 21 three-pointers taken in a single game, a mark set in 2005 by Damon Stoudamire. Smith hit 10 of 22 3-point shots against the Heat, setting a franchise record for 3-pointers made and finishing with 32 points for the second straight game.


Cleveland Cavaliers (2015–2019)


2014–15 season

On January 5, 2015, Smith was acquired by the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...
in a three-team trade that involved the Knicks and the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...
. On April 27, 2015, Smith was suspended for the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals after he swung his arm and made contact with the head of Celtics forward Jae Crowder in Game 4 of their first-round series against Boston. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
, Smith made eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points in a 97–89 victory. He helped the Cavaliers sweep the Hawks to reach the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
, where they lost to the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
in six games. During Cleveland's NBA Finals run in the 2015 playoffs, Smith appeared in 18 games (four starts), averaging 12.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game.


2015–16 season: First championship

On September 2, 2015, Smith re-signed with the Cavaliers. Smith played in 77 games (all starts) with Cleveland in the 2015–16 regular season, averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 30.7 minutes. He ranked seventh in the league in 3-pointers made (204), setting a franchise single-season record. He also shot .400 from beyond the arc, which was tied for 18th-best in the NBA. Smith led Cleveland in steal-to-turnover ratio (1.37) and scored 10 or more points 50 times and 20 or more points 11 times. During Cleveland's playoff run, Smith started in all 21 games, averaging 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 34.8 minutes per game. He made a franchise playoff-record 65 3-pointers, which were also the fourth-most threes made by any NBA player in a single postseason. Smith scored in double figures in each of the last five games of the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
, as Cleveland went 4–1 over that stretch against Golden State and took home the franchise's first NBA title.


2016–17 season

On October 15, 2016, Smith re-signed with the Cavaliers. After a contract stalemate that had consumed nearly the first three weeks of training camp, Smith and the Cavaliers reached an agreement on a four-year deal worth $57 million. On November 1, in a win over the Houston Rockets, Smith hit his 344th three-pointer, passing
Damon Jones Damon Darron Jones (born August 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A combo guard, he played college baske ...
for ninth place on the team's all-time list. On November 18, he hit three 3-pointers against the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
to move past
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (, ; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the gre ...
into 15th place on the NBA's career list for 3-pointers. On December 13, Smith, having been in a season-long shooting slump, scored 17 of his season-high 23 points in the first half of the Cavaliers' 103–86 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
. He came into the game shooting a career-low 31 percent from the field and 32 percent on 3-pointers, the lowest mark since his rookie season with New Orleans. He finished the game with 8-of-17 from the field and 6-of-10 on 3s, passing Dale Ellis (1,719) for 14th on the career three-pointer list. On December 20, in a win over the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...
, Smith suffered a fractured right thumb that required surgery. Three days later, he was ruled out for 12–14 weeks. He made his return to the line-up on March 9 against the Pistons. Smith helped the Cavaliers go 12–1 over the first three rounds of the playoffs to reach the NBA Finals for a third straight season. There the Cavaliers faced the Warriors, but lost the series in five games.


2017–18 season

Smith struggled over the first 10 games of the 2017–18 season. He found his form on November 7, scoring a season-high 20 points on 5-of-7 3-pointers in a 124–119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, passing
Rashard Lewis Rashard Quovon Lewis (born August 8, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. Lewis entered the NBA directly from Alief Elsik High School. He rose to prominence in the NBA as a scorer with the Seattle SuperSonics, and was later ...
(1,787) for 14th place on the NBA's career 3-pointers made list. On December 14, in a 121–112 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
, Smith passed
Chauncey Billups Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(1,830) for 11th place on the NBA's career 3-pointers made list. On March 2, 2018, Smith was suspended by the Cavaliers for one game for throwing a bowl of soup at an assistant coach. During Game 1 of the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
against the Warriors, Smith got a free-throw rebound with 4.7 seconds left in regulation time. The game was tied, meaning that a field goal would have won the game. Smith, apparently confused and, thinking the Cavaliers were winning, attempted to dribble out the clock before realizing his error and frantically passing to George Hill with 1.2 seconds left, in front of a visibly irate LeBron James. The Cavaliers lost 124–114 in overtime. In a post-game interview, Smith initially claimed to have known it was a tie game. He later backtracked, saying: "After thinking about it a lot... I can't say I was sure of anything at that point." The Cavaliers went on to lose the series in a four-game sweep.


2018–19 season

Cleveland began 2018–19 with a 2–13 record after LeBron James left the team in free agency for the Lakers. Head coach
Tyronn Lue Tyronn Jamar Lue (pronounced ''Ta-RON LEW''; born May 3, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly served as ...
had been fired after an 0–6 start, the team was suffering injuries to All-Star
Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star Game, All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA ...
and others, and Smith's role had been reduced. On November 20, 2018, the Cavaliers announced that Smith "will no longer be with team as the organization works with JR and his representation regarding his future." A day earlier, he had accused the team of not trying to win, saying their goal was to "develop oung playersand lose to get lottery picks." On July 15, 2019, he was waived by the Cavaliers.


Los Angeles Lakers (2020)

On July 1, 2020, Smith signed with the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
for the remainder of the 2019–20 season, reuniting him with former Cavaliers teammate
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...
. On July 30, he made his debut for the Lakers, recording no points and one foul in a 103–101 win over the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
. On August 3, Smith logged his first points for the Lakers, grabbing four points in a 116–108 win over the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
. On August 13, he recorded a season-high 11 points, along with one rebound and two assists, in a 122–136 loss to the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
. On August 20, he recorded a playoff-high 11 points, along with two assists, in a 111–88 win over the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
. Smith would go on to win his second NBA championship when the Lakers defeated the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
in six games.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
, 76 , , 56 , , 24.5 , , .394 , , .288 , , .689 , , 2.0 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
, 55 , , 25 , , 18.0 , , .393 , , .371 , , .822 , , 2.0 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , .1 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 63 , , 24 , , 23.3 , , .441 , , .390 , , .810 , , 2.3 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .1 , , 13.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 74 , , 0 , , 19.2 , , .461 , , .403 , , .719 , , 2.1 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .2 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 81 , , 18 , , 27.7 , , .446 , , .397 , , .754 , , 3.7 , , 2.8 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 15.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 75 , , 0 , , 27.8 , , .414 , , .338 , , .706 , , 3.1 , , 2.4 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 79 , , 6 , , 24.9 , , .435 , , .390 , , .738 , , 4.1 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, 35 , , 1 , , 27.6 , , .407 , , .337 , , .709 , , 3.9 , , 2.4 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, 80 , , 0 , , 33.5 , , .422 , , .356 , , .762 , , 5.3 , , 2.7 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 18.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, 74 , , 37 , , 32.7 , , .415 , , .394 , , .652 , , 4.0 , , 3.0 , , .9 , , .3 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, 24 , , 6 , , 25.8 , , .402 , , .356 , , .692 , , 2.4 , , 3.4 , , .8 , , .2 , , 10.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 46 , , 45 , , 31.8 , , .425 , , .390 , , .818 , , 3.5 , , 2.5 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 12.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 77 , , 77 , , 30.7 , , .415 , , .400 , , .634 , , 2.8 , , 1.7 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 41 , , 35 , , 29.0 , , .346 , , .351 , , .667 , , 2.8 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 8.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 80 , , 61 , , 28.1 , , .403 , , .375 , , .696 , , 2.9 , , 1.8 , , .9 , , .1 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 11 , , 4 , , 20.2 , , .342 , , .308 , , .800 , , 1.6 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",
L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
, 6 , , 0 , , 13.2 , , .318 , , .091 , , 1.000 , , .8 , , .5 , , .2 , , .0 , , 2.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 977 , , 395 , , 26.9 , , .419 , , .373 , , .733 , , 3.1 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 12.4


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
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Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 4 , , 0 , , 11.8 , , .273 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 4 , , 0 , , 27.0 , , .535 , , .318 , , .833 , , 1.8 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 18.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 16 , , 0 , , 27.2 , , .454 , , .358 , , .543 , , 3.3 , , 2.8 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 14.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 6 , , 0 , , 26.5 , , .368 , , .355 , , .875 , , 3.8 , , 1.7 , , .7 , , .3 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 15.2 , , .356 , , .429 , , .727 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , .0 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
, style="text-align:left;",
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 35.0 , , .316 , , .179 , , 1.000 , , 2.6 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 12.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
, style="text-align:left;",
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, 11 , , 0 , , 31.9 , , .331 , , .273 , , .721 , , 4.7 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 14.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 18 , , 4 , , 31.1 , , .403 , , .359 , , .700 , , 4.7 , , 1.2 , , 0.9 , , .6 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
† , style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 21 , , 21 , , 34.5 , , .459 , , .429 , , .619 , , 3.2 , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 11.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 18* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 18* , , 27.1 , , .505 , , .500 , , .455 , , 2.3 , , .7 , , .7 , , .3 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 22* , , 21 , , 32.1 , , .348 , , .367 , , .773 , , 2.7 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 8.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
† , style="text-align:left;",
L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
, 10, , 0, , 7.5, , .269, , .273, , .000, , .3, , .3, , .2, , .0, , 2.0 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 140 , , 64 , , 27.9 , , .397 , , .367 , , .706 , , 3.0 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .3 , , 10.7


CBA

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;",
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Ji ...
, 32 , , 8 , , 36.4 , , .517 , , .478 , , .758 , , 7.4 , , 4.1 , , 2.5 , , .1 , , 34.4


College golf

On August 11, 2021, it was reported that Smith enrolled at
North Carolina A&T State University North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...
, aiming for a degree in liberal studies and planning to join the Aggies golf team. The university announced on October 8, 2021 that Smith had qualified to play in the Aggies' upcoming tournament, the Phoenix Invitational hosted by nearby
Elon University Elon University is a private university in Elon, North Carolina. Founded in 1889 as Elon College, Elon is organized into six schools, most of which offer bachelor's degrees and several of which offer master's degrees or professional doctora ...
, on October 11 and 12. Under team rules, all golfers must qualify for regular-season tournaments in practice unless they were among the team's top two golfers in its previous tournament. Smith qualified for the Phoenix Invitational by one stroke, shooting rounds of 83 and 78 (respectively 12 and 7 over par) on the event's first day. Smith was named the North Carolina A&T Academic Athlete of the Year for 2021-2022 with a 4.0 GPA.


Esports

In 2021, J.R Smith signed with
Complexity Gaming Complexity Gaming, formerly stylized as compLexity, is an American esports franchise headquartered in Frisco, Texas. The franchise was founded in 2003 by Jason Lake and is co-owned by Lake, real estate investor John Goff, and Dallas Cowboys ...
and he also played Warzone tournaments.


Personal life

In 2012, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described Smith as perhaps the most heavily
tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...
ed player in the NBA. He said that he got his first tattoo at 15 years old, has been in " obably a thousand" tattoo parlors and had lost count of his number of tattoos "around 70-something." In June 2016, a Cleveland clothing company began selling a
T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are genera ...
which reproduced Smith's torso and upper arm tattoos. In November 2016, Smith appeared on stage with his family at a Cleveland rally for the
Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign The 2016 presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton was announced in a YouTube video, on April 12, 2015. Hillary Clinton was the 67th United States Secretary of State and served during the first term of the Obama administration, 2009 to 2013. ...
to endorse Clinton's candidacy for the
2016 United States presidential election The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticke ...
. Smith modeled for
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
and Supreme in 2018. He subsequently had the Supreme logo tattooed on his
calf Calf most often refers to: * Calf (animal), the young of domestic cattle. * Calf (leg), in humans (and other primates), the back portion of the lower leg Calf or calves may also refer to: Biology and animal byproducts *Veal, meat from calves *C ...
.


Family

Smith is the son of Ida and Earl Smith, and has three brothers and two sisters. His younger brother
Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name *Chris Abani (born 1966), Nige ...
briefly played alongside him on the Knicks in 2013–14. His younger brother Dimitrius played football at
Monmouth University Monmouth University is a private university in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956 and Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter. There are about 4,400 full ...
. In August 2016, Smith married Jewel Harris; the couple have three daughters together. Smith has one daughter from a previous relationship. Their second daughter together was born in January 2017, weighing one pound at birth. Former teammates
Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team ...
and
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...
are the godfathers of his first two daughters.


Controversies

On June 9, 2007, Smith and two passengers were injured in a car accident on Stagecoach Road in
Millstone Township, New Jersey Millstone Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located within the Raritan Valley region and is a part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The township was named for the Millstone River (a major tributar ...
, when the SUV he was driving collided with another car. Smith and a passenger, Andre Bell, were ejected from the vehicle at around 5:30 p.m. Smith's vehicle went through a stop sign and collided with the other car. Smith was taken to Jersey Shore University Hospital. Bell suffered serious head injuriesNuggets guard Smith hospitalized but OK after SUV crash
updated June 10, 2007
before being pronounced dead on the night of June 11.Passenger in Smith car dies; player doing OK
updated June 11, 2007
Neither Smith nor the second passenger suffered life-threatening injuries. Smith and Bell were not wearing seatbelts at the time. In October 2008, a grand jury in
Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County () is a county located on the coast of central New Jersey. The county is part of the New York metropolitan area and is situated along the northern half of the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population wa ...
, declined to indict Smith on a vehicular manslaughter charge stemming from the accident. On June 30, 2009, Smith pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving in relation to the June 2007 accident. Smith was initially sentenced to 90 days in a Monmouth County (N.J.) jail, but 60 of those days were suspended, on the condition that he complete 500 hours of community service. On July 31, 2009, ''
The Denver Post ''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...
'' reported that Smith was released from jail after serving 24 days of his sentence. On August 5, 2009, Smith closed his Twitter account because he was accused of writing in a way that reflected the
Bloods gang The Bloods are a primarily African-American street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. It is identified by the red color worn by its members and by particular gang symbols, includ ...
, specifically replacing his c's with k's. On August 28, 2009, Smith was suspended seven games for the 2009–10 NBA season in response to his guilty plea to a reckless driving charge related to the fatal 2007 accident. The NBA also cited his poor driving record as grounds for the suspension. Smith's driving record included five suspensions in eight months, but was "in good standing" at the time of the crash in New Jersey. He was required to pay restoration fees and fines. Smith totaled 27 points against his record from April 2005 to January 2006, including eight violations on seven different days. Five citations were for
speeding Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed - expres ...
. Since the accident, he has received two more speeding tickets and three license suspensions in New Jersey.JR Smith Facing Traffic Charges From Fatal Crash
NYTimes.com, January 6, 2009
In March 2012, Smith was fined $25,000 by the NBA for posting a picture of model
Tahiry Jose ''Love & Hip Hop: New York'' (originally titled ''Love & Hip Hop'') is the original installment of the ''Love & Hip Hop'' reality television franchise on VH1. The series premiered on March 6, 2011, and chronicles the lives of people involved with ...
on his Twitter account. In May 2012, Smith was arrested in
Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which ...
for failing to appear in court in 2011 after he was cited for operating a motor scooter with no valid license. The following month, he sued his former team, the
Zhejiang Golden Bulls The Zhejiang Golden Bulls, or Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Rent are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Yiwu in Zhejiang, China. It competes in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), in the Southern Division. Its corporate sponsor is Z ...
, for $1 million after the team withheld that amount from his salary claiming he missed many practices and faked an injury. During the celebrations after the 2016 NBA Finals victory, Smith was spotted multiple times without a T-shirt. During President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
's congratulatory call to head coach
Tyronn Lue Tyronn Jamar Lue (pronounced ''Ta-RON LEW''; born May 3, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly served as ...
, Obama made a reference to Smith's lack of shirt. As a result of his famous shirtlessness, Smith commissioned a t-shirt of his torso. In September 2018, the NBA threatened to fine Smith if he appeared in a game without covering up the Supreme logo tattooed on his leg. Smith initially resisted but, after talking with
National Basketball Players Association The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is a labor union that represents National Basketball Association (NBA) players. It was founded in 1954, making it the oldest trade union of the four major professional sports leagues in the Unit ...
officials, eventually agreed to hide the tattoo. On May 31, 2020, Smith was seen on video attacking another man. The man was allegedly participating in the
George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internat ...
and had allegedly broken Smith's truck window with his skateboard. Smith claimed in a video to have chased the man down and "whooped his ass" because he "broke his shit", and he referred to the man as a "motherfucking white boy."


See also

* List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders *
List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders This article provides two lists: :A list of National Basketball Association players by total career playoff three-point field goals made.The National Basketball Association did not record 3-point field goals until the 1979–80 season :A progres ...


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, J. R. 1985 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American men's basketball players Basketball players from Newark, New Jersey Cleveland Cavaliers players Denver Nuggets players Lakewood High School (New Jersey) alumni Los Angeles Lakers players McDonald's High School All-Americans National Basketball Association high school draftees New Orleans Hornets draft picks New Orleans Hornets players New York Knicks players North Carolina A&T Aggies men's golfers Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Freehold Borough, New Jersey People from Millstone Township, New Jersey St. Benedict's Preparatory School alumni Shooting guards Sportspeople from Lakewood Township, New Jersey Steinert High School alumni Trenton Catholic Academy alumni Zhejiang Golden Bulls players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people