During Thursday nightâs 121-112 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter J.R. Smith decided to wear one of Nikeâs âSupremeâ compression sleeves on his left arm.
Smith finished Thursday nightâs game with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field (2-of-2 from beyond the arc), three assists, two rebounds, one block, and one steal in 32 minutes of playing time. With his second made three on Thursday night, Smith passed former Detroit Pistons great Chauncey Billups for the 11th spot on the NBAâs all-time list.
In a post-win locker room media session, âSwish,â as heâs came to be known, was later asked why he chose to wear the sleeve. His response was fairly simple.
âI thought it looked dope and matched our uniforms,â Smith told Joe Vardon of cleveland.com.
Other players have worn similar sleeves in the past, including Washington Wizards swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. However, when Oubre wore a sleeve, Wizards team officials asked him to take it off, as the NBA has certain uniform policies to uphold. J.R. Smith said he didnât know Oubre had to take his sleeve off, and noted that the Cavs did not ask him to do the same.
Whether or not the NBA will choose to fine Smith for wearing the sleeve remains to be seen.
Prior to Thursday nightâs game, J.R. Smith made a big announcement on Twitter, stating that his wife, Jewel, is pregnant with their fourth child. Maybe Swish was just in a good mood.
Smith and the Cavs, winners in 16 of their last 17 games, will kick off the first game of a back-to-back set on Saturday, when they welcome the Utah Jazz to Quicken Loans Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with Fox Sports Ohio having live broadcast coverage.