NBA legend J.R. Smith may not be on the Mount Rushmore of basketball superstars, but he certainly knows how to give the fans something to talk about.
Speaking on the ‘Snapback Sports Podcast,’ Smith made headlines again for his latest soundbite, where he jokingly admitted that he’d have as many points as LeBron James himself had he shot that many times in his career.
J.R. Smith says he’d have the NBA’s scoring record if he shot as many shots as LeBron.
Agree?
(via Snapback Sports Podcast, https://t.co/E5NIsyhaSb) pic.twitter.com/fepIr3vx3f
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 27, 2023
J.R. has never been short of confidence. Whether it was in his prime or now, after his final NBA gig, he always had a firm belief in his abilities and never expressed doubt about his game.
J.R. Still Recovering From Brutal Finals Mistake
Unfortunately, Smith’s confidence didn’t always translate into seamless play on the court. During one infamous moment in the Finals, he “forgot” the score in the closing seconds and cost the Cavs a chance to win the game.
To this day, LeBron’s reaction is a scene that is etched into the minds of fans — but J.R. does have his own explanation.
“I had KD (Kevin Durant) right here, and I had somebody on the other side or whatever and the ball came down,” Smith explained. “So, I, as the ball bounced, I didn’t think I had a chance to get the ball. Honestly. So, when I got the ball I’m like, “Oh, shit,” but mind you, KD’s still standing right here. So, I’m like, ‘I’m not about to just go right up on this tall-a** motherf**ker. So, I go. I dribble it out. Normally, in every other situation like that for us, what do they do after we get a rebound? Somebody’s gonna call a timeout. We got an extra possession. Nobody’s gonna call a timeout? So I’m supposed to think to get the rebound, and call a timeout. So, I don’t got nobody else out here. It’s just me. I’m playing golf now.”
So in the case of his latest comment, it’s likely that J.R. was just hyping himself up like he usually does. Even if Smith had gotten the same number of shot attempts as the King, his limited offensive game would have been produced at a much lesser efficiency.
In fact, it’s impressive that LeBron has managed to stay as efficient as he has given the thousands and thousands of points he’s scored, but there’s a reason he’s considered the best of the best, and J.R. should know that more than anyone.
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