Entering his 15th season in the league, Cleveland Cavaliers swingman J.R. Smith has been around for quite a long time now. The 33-year-old Cavs man has already been with four different teams, and has surely gotten close to more than a few teammates along the way.
This is why it was very interesting to read about Smith responding to a random fan on Twitter who asked the former Sixth Man of the Year winner who his favorite teammate of all-time was. Smith’s response may come as a surprise to most.
Smith obviously liked the question, and immediately responded to the seemingly loaded query. He picked two former Cavs teammates in James Jones and Mike Miller — both of which were part of the 2016 championship-winning Cavaliers side that toppled heavy favorites Golden State Warriors in the Finals.
Interestingly enough, this trio joined the Cavs around the same time. Both Jones and Miller signed with the team in the summer of 2014, while Smith made his way to Cleveland during the same season via a mid-season trade from the New York Knicks.
Being the new kids on the blocks, the trio likely formed a bond as they all shared a similar situation with the team. Smith had two and half seasons playing alongside Jones and Miller before the duo retired after the 2016-17 season.
As expected, the Twitterverse took this opportunity to question Smith about his choice of favorite teammates. Many asked why he did not pick LeBron James or even Carmelo Anthony, who was his teammate while with the Denver Nuggets and the Knicks.
Then again, J.R. Smith did not expound on his answer, so it would be unfair to judge him for his impromptu response. After all, the question was very subjective, and Smith surely had his own reasons why he chose Jones and Miller.
