Can you believe we finally made it to the NBA Finals?
It’s Cavs-Warriors Chapter Three: Revenge of J.R. Smith.
No, seriously; although he has been quiet in these playoffs J.R. Smith was “money”, as Vince Vaughn from “Swingers” would say, in the 2016 NBA Finals against Golden State.
He dropped 20 points in game three, 14 in game six and 12 in a decisive game seven in which he spent 39 minutes on the floor. More importantly the Cavaliers won each of those games as well as game five at the Oracle to make J.R. Smith the unlikeliest NBA champion in the history of the sport.
Last year’s NBA Finals showed how well the Cavs playwhen their farfetched hero is casting threes like a Hollywood director gone mad with power. J.R. Smith is lightning in a bottle of Tabasco. J.R. Smith plays basketball like Tom Cruise acts; with reckless abandon and no regard for mankind.
Remember after game seven when Smith’s daughter infamously threw shade on her father’s parade of navy blue and gold confetti?
“I’m just proud of him because he made the championship without getting kicked off the team.” Smith’s daughter, Demi, said to reporters during the celebration.
God bless J.R. Smith; he has had a tough road.
In June of 2007 he was in a car accident in which he was ejected from his vehicle. Andre Bell, a passenger of Smith’s who was also dislodged from the car in the crash, died a couple days later from head injuries. While the toll of this accident is infinitely worse for the Bell family, it also must weigh heavily on Smith’s psyche.
Smith is in the news again as his daughter, Dakota, was finally released from the hospital after being born five months premature in January.
He has had a long journey to the peak since coming into the league straight from high school in 2004 that includes battles with coaches, countless DNP’s and a short stint in China during the 2011 NBA lockout.
You already know all the household names from the Finals; Lebron, Steph, Kyrie, Durant, Love and Klay. There is nothing more I can write about any of these mononymous superstars that will change your opinion; that is why you recognize who I am referring to with a single name. Their identities are already ingrained into your basketball brain like Bird-Magic or M.J.’s winner in game six against Utah.
Lebron will dominate the game in all facets, Steph will bomb threes and unleash joyful triumphs as he bounds down the court and Kyrie will be “The Layup King”. Durant will be the best pure scorer on the court, Love will grab boards and stand in the corner waiting to shoot and Klay will get hot one game and drop twenty five in the third quarter.
Get to know J.R. Smith.
Golden State’s squad remembers him from last year’s June matchup. He rained threes on their defense like a soggy spring day in the Pacific Northwest.
Sure Smith has been quiet in the 2017 NBA playoffs but I see him as more of a firework who is bound to explode as soon as that fuse dissipates.
Remember Ang Lee’s 2000 martial arts film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”? J.R. Smith is about to roundhouse kick the Golden State Warriors back home.
I got Cleveland in seven with Lebron winning the Finals MVP. I love J.R. Smith but c’mon; I’m not that crazy.
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