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J.R. Smith says playing with LeBron is ‘a gift and a curse’

Griffin Crest / NBA / March 9, 2023

NBA champion J.R. Smith explains why playing with LeBron is ‘a gift and a curse’

The NBA fan favorite and Hennessy enthusiast J.R. Smith recently came out and talked about how playing with LeBron James has its ups and downs. Via theScore.

Smith was teammates with James on both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. With James, Smith would win two historic NBA championships, one in 2016, when the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit, and in 2020 when the NBA went into a lockdown in the bubble with the Lakers. Two championships with everlasting memories.

On his own, Smith averaged 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 42% shooting in career averages. He also won the 2012-13 NBA Sixth Man of the year award. In 17 seasons in the NBA, Smith played for five teams: the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, New Orleans Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers.

What Smith had to say about the pressure in playing with LeBron:

Smith discussed that pressure he felt while playing with the GOAT on “Game Theory with Bomani Jones.”

“Honestly, it’s a gift and a curse playing with Bron,” Smith said. “I love Bron to death and I love playing on his team because for me, I feel like I thrive more under the pressure. But a lot of guys don’t like it because it can go one of two ways.”

“He missed a free throw too,” Smith continued. “Don’t just look at me because I missed an open shot. We all missing out here,” said Smith. “And I think for a lot of guys, it’s hard to – especially with the day and age we in, social media … you got analysts running around, talking crazy. And you playing on that team and I think they’re what, 12th or 13th?. They still the most talked-about team on TV.“

“So it’s always gonna be that supporting cast of ‘who’s not doing what,’ and if you’re not built for that, you not made for that, it’s gonna eat you alive,” Smith said.