Veteran J.R. Smith revealed a hilarious trash-talking incident with NBA legend Michael Jordan. The conversation took place when the two recently battled it out on a golf course.
MJ returned the favor when he was trash-talked by other players as he went on to put in dominant performances. But the five-time MVP didn't hesitate in talking smack to his opponents either.
Smith never got an opportunity to face Jordan on the basketball court and be on the receiving end of his verbal jabs. But he got that experience on a golf course. Here's what Smith said regarding this in an interview with Complex:
“He smoked me,” Smith said. “He threw this jab at me low-key. So we were betting right and I doubled down on one of my bets. He said, ‘Alright, what’s the game?’ I’m like, ‘We gon’ play a Nassau.’ I said, ‘Whoa, $100, not $1000.’
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"He said, ‘I know what you meant. … You had a good career, not a great career. What do you want me to say?’ It was great for me.”
J.R. Smith enrolled in North Carolina A&T as a collegiate athlete in 2021. The former New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Lakers star joined the Aggies golf team.
A few months later, he got the opportunity to play the sport with his idol, Michael Jordan on his golf course, The Grove XXIII, in Florida.
J.R. Smith revisits his thoughts the time he played golf with Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan has been an icon for several veteran NBA players. He was the greatest to many of those stars as they grew up watching him dominate like no other in the game's history.
To date, several superstars who came into the league shortly after Jordan retired have been mesmerized by his presence around them.
J.R. Smith was no different when he played golf with his idol a few months ago. Smith came into the league in 2004, a year after Jordan's final NBA game.
Despite becoming one of the most electrifying players and winning several NBA accolades, J.R. Smith couldn't contain his excitement about playing golf with Jordan.
He revisited his thoughts about the day he got that opportunity during his interview with Complex, saying:
“It was one of the most childish feelings I felt as a grown-a** man,” Smith said. “That’s Mike, bro. I couldn’t stop looking at him like, ‘Yo he got the Jordans.’”
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