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 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 in the United S ...
(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 Delaware ...
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 accredite ...
in
Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
. He entered the NBA out of high school after being selected in the first round of the
2004 NBA draft
The 2004 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2004, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm ( EDT). In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur colle ...
with the 18th overall pick by the
New Orleans Hornets. 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 of the
Chinese Basketball Association. 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 awa ...
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 (NBA), Ea ...
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 trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
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 impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
.
In 2021, Smith enrolled at
North Carolina A&T State University, where he joined their
Aggies golf team. Also in 2021, Smith signed with
Complexity Gaming.
Early life
Born in
, Smith grew up in the
Clarksburg section of
Millstone Township, New Jersey. 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 accredite ...
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 c ...
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 tea ...
.
He focused strictly on basketball as a senior.
He committed to play college basketball at
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
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
The 2004 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2004, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm ( EDT). In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur colle ...
.
Professional career
New Orleans Hornets (2004–2006)
Smith was selected by the
New Orleans Hornets with the 18th overall pick in the
2004 NBA draft
The 2004 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2004, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm ( EDT). In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur colle ...
. 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
Byron Antom Scott (born March 28, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, Scott won three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their S ...
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 N ...
, to the
Chicago Bulls 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 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 Pennsylva ...
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 (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
, including going 0-for-12 from 3-point range, Smith was benched for Game 5 of the series.
Nuggets coach
George Karl
George Matthew Karl (born May 12, 1951) is an American former professional basketball coach and player. After spending five years as a player for the San Antonio Spurs, Karl became an assistant with the team before getting the chance to become a ...
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.
On December 23, 2009, Smith scored a season-high 41 points against the
Atlanta Hawks, 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 hour ...
. 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 hour ...
, Smith signed a one-year deal with the
Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the
Chinese Basketball Association (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. 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 substit ...
, 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, 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 (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
. Two days later, in a 102–91 loss to the
Miami Heat, 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 (NBA), Ea ...
in a three-team trade that involved the Knicks and the
Oklahoma City Thunder. 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
Corey Jae Crowder (born July 6, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Not being heavily recruited out of high school, Crowder committed to South Georgia Technical ...
in Game 4 of their first-round series against Boston. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the
Atlanta Hawks, 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 awa ...
, 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 awa ...
, 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 to move past
Dirk Nowitzki 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. 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
Dale or dales may refer to:
Locations
* Dale (landform), an open valley
* Dale (place name element)
Geography
;Australia
*The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean
;Canada
*Dale, Ontario
;Ethiopia
*Dale (woreda), district
;Norway
*Dal ...
(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 1968 ...
, 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 (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 awa ...
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 t ...
had been fired after an 0–6 start, the team was suffering injuries to All-Star
Kevin Love 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. 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. On August 3, Smith logged his first points for the Lakers, grabbing four points in a 116–108 win over the
Utah Jazz. 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. On August 20, he recorded a playoff-high 11 points, along with two assists, in a 111–88 win over the
Portland Trail Blazers. Smith would go on to win his second NBA championship when the Lakers defeated the
Miami Heat in six games.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
, 76 , , 56 , , 24.5 , , .394 , , .288 , , .689 , , 2.0 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 10.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
, 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 U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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 U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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 U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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 U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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 U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, 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 , , 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; 2009 Iran ...
, 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 celebrate ...
, 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 gather ...
, 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 fact ...
, 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
* '' ...
, 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 Apri ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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 trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
†
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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 ser ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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 U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, 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 impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
†
, 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 Jiang ...
, 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, 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, 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 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 Process of tatt ...
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 general ...
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
Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...
'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 ticket ...
.
Smith
modeled for
Nike 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
* ...
.
Family
Smith is the son of Ida and Earl Smith, and has three brothers and two sisters. His younger brother
Chris 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 and
Chris Paul 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, 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 injuries
[Nuggets guard Smith hospitalized but OK after SUV crash](_blank)
updated June 10, 2007 before being pronounced dead on the night of June 11.
[Passenger in Smith car dies; player doing OK](_blank)
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, declined to indict Smith on a
vehicular manslaughter
Vehicular homicide is a crime that involves the death of a person other than the driver as a result of either criminally negligent or murderous operation of a motor vehicle.
In cases of criminal negligence, the defendant is commonly charged ...
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'' 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, includin ...
, 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. 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](_blank)
NYTimes.com, January 6, 2009
In March 2012, Smith was fined $25,000 by the NBA for posting a picture of model
Tahiry Jose 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 artificial island, man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the ...
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, 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, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
'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 t ...
, 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 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 internati ...
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
*
*
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