JR Smith used his size growing up to fulfill his dreams of playing in the big league of American basketball. Smith’s professional career started fairly early when he entered the NBA straight out of high school, unlike most of the other stars in the game who progressed through college.
The Baller was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft, giving him an early start to what is now a fairly long career. Before the NBA draft, he was a high-flyer on his high school basketball team. Saint Benedict’s prep school, where he was considered a basketball powerhouse in New Jersey. His recognition as a powerhouse led him into a career where he came into contact with teams such as the New York Hornets (now the New York Pelicans), the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks.
The talented player even touched base in China during the 2011 NBA lockout. In China, he played for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Zhejiang Golden Bulls. It is evident that JR Smith, who has won an NBA championship in his career, has had a great career as a basketball player.
JR Smith is short for his full name, Earl Joseph Smith III. Young Smith grew up in New Jersey, where he attended Millstone Middle School in 1999. He first attended Lakewood High School before transferring to Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School, where he played impressive basketball and was named co-MVP with Dwight Howard in New Jersey in the 2004 McDonald’s All-American Game.
He made the decision to forgo college when he declared he was eligible for the 2004 NBA draft. JR was the New Orleans Hornets’ 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft.
The baller was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for three separate months in 2005 when he was a rookie with the Hornets. He left the team in 2006 and went with the Denver Nuggets instead. His start with the Nuggets wasn’t great and he was even criticized by the coach, but he soon got back to his game.Smith’s first national team stint was in 2008, when he was drafted into Team USA Basketball, helping the senior team prepare for the Olympics. In April 2009, Smith posted an NBA career-high 45 points in a home win over the Sacramento Kings. He was a three-pointer behind on an NBA record during the game.
Smith signed for New York in 2012 after a brief stint in China due to the NBA lockout. He was with the Knicks from 2012 to 2015 before signing for the Cavaliers. The baller became a fan favorite as he improved the Knicks along with Steve Novak. In his freshman season with the Knicks, he averaged 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. JR was honored with the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2013 season during his second season with the Knicks. He was the first Knick to win the award since John Starks, who won it in the 96-97 season.
Smith’s trade with the Cavaliers was in a 2015 three-way trade that included Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite his disciplinary issues, he was a great asset to the Cavaliers, helping them through the 2015 NBA Finals, eventually losing to The Golden State Warriors. Smith re-signed with the Cavaliers on September 2, 2015 and helped the Cavs to another NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors with another star season. In Game 3, he scored 20 points to help the Cavaliers to a 120-90 win over the Warriors and cut the playoff deficit to 2-1. The Cavaliers would win the Finals, earning Baller his first NBA title.
One of the brightest talents in the NBA with a long career behind him, JR Smith has an extensive record spread across multiple teams. His NBA regular season career stats are 961 games played, 391 starts, averaging 27 minutes per game with 12.6 points, 2 assists, 3.2 rebounds per game. So far in the postseason, Smith’s stats have been 130 games played, 64 starting at 29.5 minutes per game. His returns in the playoffs are 11.3 points, 1.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds per game.
In August 2016, Smith married his wife JewelHarris. Though mostly private, they seem to have a very loving relationship. Together, JR Smith and his wife have three daughters, who they named Demi, Peyton, and Dakota.
JR Smith is currently in a four-year, $57 million deal with the Cavaliers, which he signed on October 15, 2016 after the NBA Finals defeated the Golden State Warriors. Smith is reportedly worth $20 million and makes about $12.8 million annually.
The Cavaliers Shooting Guard stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 225 pounds. His height, backed up by a slim build, makes him sleek on the pitch while helping his teammates and doing his part to push the team forward.
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