J.R. Smith’s brother, Chris Smith, appeared on Scoop B Radio with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on Monday and spoke on his elder brother’s time with the New York Knicks.
One subject you won’t hear J.R. Smith talk about too much is his time with the New York Knicks.
Smith won the Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2012-2013 season. With averages of 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game while playing 33.5 minutes per contest and incredible off-the-dribble play and shot-making in the clutch, it was perhaps the best season of his career. Especially considering that he was averaging career-highs in minutes, points and rebounds and field goal attempts (15.6).
It would seem like it was all coming together for Smith, who had shown tremendous potential as a scorer early in his career with Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets and in Denver with Carmelo Anthony.
Before signing with the Knicks, Smith was averaging 12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.9 minutes per game in his sixth-man role. That should give you a good idea of how much he had grown in New York as a player to become the Sixth Man of the Year.
Where it all fell apart with Smith wasn’t in his abilities, it was off-the-court.
As Smith re=signed with the Knicks, his brother Chris was signed by the New York Knicks following the 2012-2013 season though fans felt as if center Jeremy Tyler had performed better and was more deserving of the roster spot. Consequentially, an atmosphere was created where fans felt as if Chris was signed to appease J.R. and considering the familial ties, it’s not an irrational assumption considering that he had shot 22.0 percent from the field in the Summer League circuit during the offseason.
Meanwhile, Tyler was averaging 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Chris, who had a solid career at his brother’s high school alma mater, St. Benedict’s prep, was a walk-on at Louisville after transferring from Manhattan College. He averaged 9.7 points per game while starting for Louisville’s 2012 Final Four team.
It’s probable that Smith was signed to make his brother happy, who would be more comfortable in New York with “right hand” with him.
It's so much easier to cope when yea right hand is wit u! therealcsmith0 http://t.co/fYZ3R1t0Cd
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) December 28, 2013
The Knicks also could have been buying into Pitino was buying into, a smart combo guard who can hit the open man and open shots.
Considering the point guard situation, with injury-prone Raymond Felton, 36-year-old Pablo Prigioni and fellow rookie Toure’ Murry, signing Smith wasn’t a bad idea. At the beginning of the season, before injuries piled up, the Knicks were solid at the center position with Tyson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani and Cole Aldrich on board before you’d even get to Tyler.
Chris would be cut in late December so that the Knicks could sign Tyler, prompting J.R. to send out a message to the Knicks about betrayal.
After that, J.R. would be spotted untying opponents shoelaces in the middle of games and with a lengthy history of off-court trouble, displaying immaturity on the court was more or less the beginning of the end of Smith’s time in New York. DeAntae Smith of Sporting News would point out Smith was briefly benched after mocking the shoelace incident, which earned him a $50,000 fine, at a nightclub.
At the beginning of the 2014-2015 season, Phil Jackson would compare J.R. to the wild child of Chicago, Dennis Rodman. Smith embraced the comparisons (quote transcribed by Fred Kerber of the New York Post):
"“I think the reputation. Females. Nightlife. Whatever people want to say about us, we’re kind of similar,” Smith said. “Just in general, overall the way we are. We work hard on the court. We play hard off the court. So I’ll take it.”"
However, Chris would felt as if J.R. was being mischaracterized. He talked to radio host Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on Scoop B Radio about how Smith’s time in New York, saying “everybody hangs out and parties”.
"Scoop B: J.R. played with the Knicks, you played briefly played with the Knicks. It was a mixed bag with J.R. a lot of people they loved him, they hated him… As his brother, what is the biggest misconception that people have of him?Chris Smith: I think people got it confused about the hanging out and the partying. It’s evident in New York everybody hangs out and parties, it’s just the level and the platform of the people that you hang out with. Pictures are being taken and stuff like that so everybody is going to think that you’re always out and if the media portrays you in one way people will take it and run with it so that only leaves people who are not in your life to believe that they are in your life."
Chris brings up a valid point. While other basketball players may be seen at nightclubs, only 60 players in the NBA play in a city synonymous with nightlife. Those player play with the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks. Out of those players, not many are dating pop icon Rihanna and hanging out with rap icon Lil Wayne, both music artists with a “bad boy/girl” image of their own.
After being traded to Cleveland, Smith didn’t leave the company of stars though his relationship with Rihanna ended. He was still friends with Lil Wayne and would now always be in the company of a global icon in LeBron James. However, the nightlife scene in Cleveland is considerably different from what it is in the Big Apple. That helped Smith focus.
(Quote transcribed by Sports Illustrated’s SI Wire):
"“I think this is the best situation for me, ’cause there’s nothing but basketball. There’s nothing you expect but basketball. There’s nothing, there’s no going out, there’s no late nights. There’s video games, basketball and basketball.”"
After three years of starting for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Smith has went all-in on being three-point specialist and has averaged 11.5 points per game and made 430 threes while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range. In the playoffs, Smith has averaged 10.8 points per game and made 156 threes while shooting 41.8 percent from three-point range.
He’s now 15th all-time in threes made.
The national media has acknowledged Smith’s off-the-court rebirth but it may have gone unnoticed that Smith didn’t seek out a carefree nightlife. He’s a multi-millionaire and it wouldn’t be hard to find a party. It would seem evident that it’s not inherently part of his nature to go clubbing.
That’s not “J.R. just being J.R.”.
He may like to enjoy himself but there are multiple ways to do that. In New York, like many, J.R. went out to clubs.
In Cleveland, Smith is a golfer. He’s a married man with two daughters. He’s a family man.
He’s a champion.
The person that people thought he was with the New York Knicks? That’s just not him.