J.R. Smith and Stephen Curry had clashed on the biggest stage in the basketball world in the past when the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. While Curry ended up with a 3-1 edge over there, Smith believes he would come out on top if they faced off in another sport they both excel at, which is golf.
He was on the “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas” podcast when he was asked who would win a 1-on-1 match in golf between them, and JR was pretty confident of his chances.
“Right now? Me.” said Smith while adding it would be easy. When asked if Steph wouldn’t want to see him on the course, Smith replied, “No, not right now. He fresh off a championship too. He been chilling. I’ve been grinding at this. He been chilling.”
Smith has been obsessed with the sport for over a decade at this point, and after retirement, he has made the golf team at the university he enrolled in. He was also named the Academic Athlete of the Year for 2021-22 at the university, so he is someone who has serious credentials here.
Curry, meanwhile, has made a name for himself at celebrity golf tournaments and most recently took part in the American Century Championship, where he finished 16th, far from his previous heights, having finished in the top 5 on 3 previous occasions. So maybe J.R. has a point that Curry has fallen off a bit after all the celebrating from winning that championship. The Warriors guard has been soaking in all the adulation after winning it all, as you might expect, and winning that first Finals MVP has just made it even sweeter. Curry was also recently hosting the ESPYs and is clearly having the time of his life.
