J.R. Smith

From high school standout to two-time NBA champion and college golfer.

via Wikipedia: J. R. Smith · see source

Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III (born September 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Smith played high school basketball at New Jersey basketball powerhouse Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark. He entered the NBA out of high school after being selected in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets. He has also played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, and the Cleveland Cavaliers as well as for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Smith won two NBA championships, with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. In 2021, Smith enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University, where he joined their Aggies golf team.

Quick Facts

Born: 9 September 1985
Birthplace: Freehold Borough, New Jersey, U.S.
High school: Lakewood (Lakewood, New Jersey); St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, New Jersey)
Draft round: 1
Draft pick: 18
Drafted by: New Orleans Hornets
Career position: Shooting guard; small forward
Career number: 23, 1, 5, 8, 21

Lore & Background

Born in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, 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 in 2002. Smith was highly rated in football and also played baseball. He focused strictly on basketball as a senior. He committed to play college basketball at North Carolina after a lengthy recruiting battle. However, after winning co-MVP with Dwight Howard at the 2004 McDonald's All-American Game, Smith decided to forgo college and declared for the 2004 NBA draft.

Reader's Guide

Smith was selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the 18th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft. 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 due to a poor work ethic.

He began the 2005–06 season as the starting shooting guard and ended it out of the rotation. On July 14, 2006, Smith was traded, alongside P. J. Brown, to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Tyson Chandler. Six days later, he was traded again, this time to the Denver Nuggets 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 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, including going 0-for-12 from 3-point range, Smith was benched for Game 5 of the series. Nuggets coach George Karl 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 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is J.R. Smith?

J.R. Smith is a former NBA shooting guard and small forward who became an iconic figure during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although drafted in 2004, he joined Cleveland via trade in January 2015 to help secure their first-ever title.

When did J.R. Smith join the Cavaliers?

Smith officially became a Cavalier on January 5, 2015, following a complex three-team deal involving the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder. This move brought his scoring ability to Cleveland just one season before their historic championship run.

What was J.R. Smith's role in the 2016 Championship?

During the historic 2016 postseason, Smith started all 21 playoff games and provided essential spacing with his deep-range shooting. His performance included setting a franchise record for three-pointers made during that specific championship campaign.

What are J.R. Smith's key stats or achievements with Cleveland?

His primary achievement in Cleveland is winning the NBA championship, ending a long title drought for the franchise. He also holds the distinction of setting a new franchise record for three-pointers made during the 2016 playoffs.