Who steals the spotlight when the biggest names in sports and entertainment collide? At Fanatics Fest 2025, surprises came fast. Kevin Durant learned about his trade to the Houston Rockets in real-time during a panel, while LeBron James took full advantage of the New York setting to poke fun at Knicks fans. But the real curveball? JR Smith. Despite being years removed from his NBA prime, the former champ received a wave of unexpected love, reminding everyone that some legends leave a lasting mark beyond the game.

Before teaming up with LeBron in Cleveland, Smith spent 4 years in the Big Apple, sharing the court with stars like Carmelo Anthony and Iman Shumpert. But when the Knicks made a trade agreement with the Cavaliers, the move broke the 2x NBA champion. “I ain’t gonna lie bro, I cried… All I could really fathom at the time was it was over. Like, damn, this is my best friend… This was like a real live end to an era.” When Smith felt like losing family, we realised some departures in the NBA cut deeper than others, and this surely was one of them.

Even though JR Smith and Carmelo Anthony never delivered a title to New York, Knicks fans still hold a special place for the 39-year-old. That loyalty was on full display at Fanatics Fest 2025, held right in the heart of New York City. While most celebrities connected with fans during scheduled meet-and-greets, Smith experienced something different. Fans didn’t wait for him to sit at a table—they rushed to him while he was simply walking. And that chaos? It only escalated from there.

Smith later shared the moment on his Instagram story with his 7.7 million followers: “Turned out, and there was another sea of people and mayhem.” The visuals didn’t lie either. For the safety of the two-time NBA champion, security had to step in—he was quickly flanked by police officers and event staff. Even amid the crowd’s frenzy, a lucky few managed to snap photos with him. It wasn’t your typical fan interaction, but it proved one thing: JR Smith still has the kind of star power you can’t plan for.

That one time when JR Smith became a fan for a day to celebrate his friend and former teammate

Smith’s NBA journey spanned 16 years across five teams: the New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers. His career stats — 12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game across 977 appearances — don’t tell the full story. He shot 37.3% from deep and left an indelible mark as one of the league’s most fearless shooters and charismatic personalities. Before teaming up for the Knicks, JR Smith and Carmelo Anthony also played for the Nuggets. Plus, Melo is the number 1 teammate in terms of games played together on the court (531).

So, it’s obvious when it was time to celebrate Anthony’s event, Smith would be front and center. While Carmelo was not present courtside against the Pacers during Game 5 (ECF), former teammate and good friend JR Smith was. The Jumbotron captured Smith wearing Anthony’s #7 instead of his own #8  jersey to pay tribute to his friend on his birthday. He was also captured doing Melo’s iconic ‘three to the dome’ celebration.

Being a fan and portraying his love for Anthony is what Smith did. So, that’s why when the fans got the opportunity to meet one of the Knicks’ legends, they just gathered around, and soon the former star was swamped by many fans. Yet, there is no complaint from the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year.