As we all know, J. R. Smith is now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. He won the championship in 2016 and the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2013. Does J .R. get enough praise for how good he’s been as an explosive two-way guard in the league?

Well, many people remember J. R. Smith for his decision during Game 1 of the 2018 NBA finals. It caused an outrage among fans, but it just proved that these athletes are also human. Since then, J. R. Smith has maintained a low profile and is now on course to win his second ring as a player. 

Over the years, Smith has played for a lot of teams in the association. His most memorable attachments were with the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks. During both those stints, he played alongside Carmelo Anthony and earned a lot of praise for his explosive game. 

Melo and J. R. Smith have played together for several seasons. The former recently joined ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast, where he opened about his playing career.

When the podcast’s host, JJ Redick, mentioned J. R. Smith’s name and how he was tough during his days with the Knicks, Melo delved into a story about how the current Lakers guard impressed him as a high schooler. 

J. R. Smith and his incredibly explosive two-way game stunned Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony came into the NBA via the 2003 draft, while J. R. Smith earned his spot a year later. After playing for a couple of years at New Orleans, Smith moved to Denver, where he played for five years alongside Melo. 

“I think in my second year he was in New Orleans and he came from New Orleans. I just remember like needing somebody like that – I need a two-guard that’s explosive jumping out the gym, and I was already a fan of J. R. too.” 

“I went to his McDonald’s game. It was in Oklahoma like I went to his game and I’m like, ‘yo who is this kid?’ He was shooting from half-court in high school. I mean literally half court like not one step before like toeing the line.”

“I’m like ‘yo, who is this?’ and then he went to New Orleans and I just see what was going on then I also was saying what we was dealing with in Denver like what we was missing. We needed that young explosive two-guard. J. R. came in and filled that role.”

Smith is currently a seasoned NBA veteran who is eyeing a second career ring. His team are the favorites to get it. Furthermore, his reunion with LeBron James in Los Angeles is also special. Smith is currently filling in as a role player to aid the team’s bench.