Life has been good for J.R. Smith since he was traded by Knicks president Phil Jackson to the Cleveland Cavaliers in January of 2015. He is a valuable member of the Cavs on both ends of the court as their starting shooting guard, and he finished third in the NBA this season (204) in three-pointers behind the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (402) and Klay Thompson (276).
Smith is only three wins away from playing in his second straight NBA Finals after the Cavaliers obliterated the overmatched Toronto Raptors at home Tuesday night by 115-84 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
He has undoubtedly evolved as a player and a man over the past 16 months. Being under the guidance of LeBron James has been a palpable catalyst for his growth. The 30-year-old Freehold, N.J. native was at once insightful, open, engaging, self-sabotaging and immature in a little over three seasons with the Knicks.
Smith didn’t fully adhere to or unconditionally respect the Knicks’ leadership, which included the team’s former head coach Mike Woodson, management and the organization’s franchise player, Carmelo Anthony, as evidenced by his many transgressions on the court and insatiable appetite for the New York nightlife.
Less than three weeks after being traded, a quote from Smith attributable to the publication Bleacher Report had him making this observation about his close buddy Anthony’s leadership style in contrast to James’ leadership:
“{He} is more of a ‘I’ll show you,’ as opposed to Bron {who} is more of ‘I’ll tell you, then I’ll show you’ {leader}.”
The following week, Smith shared a profound self-assessment with NBA.com regarding being dealt to the Cavaliers:
“I think this is the best situation for me ‘cause there’s nothing but basketball,” he said. “…There’s no going out, there’s no late nights … So it’s a great thing … When I grew up, I never, I wasn’t allowed to go out. So now, I get the chance to get back to my roots … I think that’s the greatest part about being here.”
Smith may be able to add winning a championship.
