J.R. Smith is going from one embarrassment to another. While he’s been known for his antics and unique personality his entire career, Smith may have his most noteable screw up on his hands now. According to TMZ, J.R. turned himself in today for an incident that took place earlier this summer in which he has been accused of breaking me a fan’s cell phone.
Last July Smith was accused of stealing a fan’s cell phone and throwing it away which damaged the phone. The NYPD had investiagted the incident which culminated today in Smith turning himself in to the NYPD.
Smith had become the scapegoat of last season’s Cleveland Cavaliers and their trouble performing up to the high standards of former leader LeBron James. After the famous last seconds of regulations in game one of the NBA Finals where Smith allegedly forgot the score, Smith had a lot of public relations work to do. Adding criminal charges to his already disastrous current public image can’t be pleasant.
Smith is entering the last season of his current contract and it’s hard to imagine many teams being interested in retaining his services. As he ages his production on the court has gone downhill fast, and his constant off-court distractions make him a difficult player to maintain. Time will tell if J.R. Smith can recover from his most recent debacle.
