Former NBA Shooting Guard and Small Forward J.R. Smith is celebrating his 38th birthday on September 8. The 2x NBA champion got drafted into the league in 2004 as the 18th pick in the first round by the New Orleans Pelicans (formerly New Orleans Hornets).
Born Earl Joseph “J.R.” Smith III, the athlete was supposed to play for the University of North Carolina after graduating high school but decided to declare for the NBA draft after winning co-MVP with Dwight Howard at the 2004 McDonald’s All-American Game. Smith was instantly met with success during his rookie year—named Western Conference Rookie of the Month three times.
He even participated in the 2005 Slam Dunk competition. Although his professional basketball career ended in 2020, the athlete took his talents to golf when he enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University in 2021.
In honor of his 38th birthday, here’s a list of every basketball team Smith has contributed to.
2004-2006: New Orleans Hornets (now New Orleans Pelicans)
Smith played in 131 games during his time in New Orleans, with 81 starts.
2006-2011: Denver Nuggets
Smith played in 372 games during his time in Denver, with 48 starts.
2011-2012: Zhejiang Golden Bulls
Smith played in 32 games during his time in Zhejiang, with eight starts.
2012-2015: New York Knicks
Smith played in 213 during his time in New York, with 44 starts.
2015-2019: Cleveland Cavaliers
Smith played in 255 games during his time in Cleveland, with 222 starts.
2020: Los Angeles Lakers
Smith played in 6 games during his time in Los Angeles.
J.R. Smith was among the many NBA players who never held back their thoughts. During a 2016 interview with The Akron Beacon Journal, Smith talked about his character, saying, “People know I’m not a malicious person. At the end of the day, [if] you’re going to treat me a certain way, I’m not even going to speak to you.”
