Jae Crowder is going to have a busy time until the start of training camp after reports that the Phoenix Suns power forward might be moved by the team as he is on an expiring contract and the team could upgrade in the position by acquiring someone like Bojan Bogdanovic from the Utah Jazz.
Crowder had previously dropped hints about him returning to the Miami Heat and needing a change, so this has been a long-time coming. Another thing that was a long time coming is beef between Crowder and a former playoff rival of his, J.R. Smith.
Crowder was featured in a StatMuse tweet that showed he had won more playoff games than Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis, a post to which Crowder responded by saying he’d rather have the championships both those players won by beating a team Jae was on. J.R. Smith popped into the conversation out of nowhere and said that he’d rather have the money that Crowder owes him instead of a ring or playoff wins.
I’d rather have that bread you owe… https://t.co/bCSI9DZlcZ
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) September 20, 2022
The Complicated History Between Jae Crowder And J.R. Smith
That tweet was most likely sent in jest, as Smith probably wouldn’t follow up on owed money from a millionaire on Twitter. The pair have had their fair share of altercations on the court, most notably during the 2015 Playoff series between Smith’s Cleveland Cavaliers and Crowder’s Boston Celtics.
Smith committed a flagrant foul on Jae during Game 4 of a first-round playoff series, resulting in an ejection for Smith. This led to a 2-game suspension for Smith and could be the money he is alleging Crowder owes him.
The pair definitely have a better relationship now after they became teammates for a brief time on the Cavaliers before Crowder got traded to the Utah Jazz. What’s sad about the initial tweet that Crowder made is that Smith was also a part of the 2020 Lakers team alongside Anthony Davis that won the 2020 championship over the Miami Heat, a team Crowder was crucial for.
