Cleveland Cavaliers: J.R. Smith Holds His Daughter Dakota For First Time!

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith finally gets to hold his daughter Dakota.

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith has posted a photo on Instagram that shows him holding his young daughter Dakota for the first time!

She’s tiny and that’s because Dakota was born five months early. She only weighed a pound at her birth. Smith and his wife, Jewel, took to Uninterrupted to share their story with their world.

It was a strong move and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Sharing news like that is difficult and going through the situation had to be one of the toughest of the couple’s lives.

According to healthline.com, this is the standard medical procedure for premature babies:

"In the first few days and weeks of the premature baby’s life, hospital care focuses on supporting vital organ development. The newborn may be kept in a temperature-controlled incubator. Monitoring equipment tracks the baby’s heart rate, breathing, and blood oxygen levels. It may be weeks or months before the baby is able to live without medical support.Many premature babies can’t eat by mouth because they can’t yet coordinate sucking and swallowing. These babies are fed vital nutrients either intravenously or using a tube inserted through the nose or mouth and into the stomach. Once the baby is strong enough to suck and swallow, breast-feeding or bottle-feeding is usually possible."

This is likely the process that Dakota has had to go through in the hospital over the last few weeks. That she’s being held by Smith is a great sign for her health and the happiness of J.R., Jewel and Smith’s two other daughters, Demi and Peyton.

Keep the Smith family in your prayers as they go through this tough time. The fans can’t wait to see him back on the court but life is bigger than basketball and fans would be much more happy to see Smith smiling with his young daughter, Dakota, in great health.

Related Story: J.R. Smith Asks For Our Prayers