J.R. Smith the leader? No, he’s serious.
The enigmatic Knicks shooting guard said in an interview with ESPN New York he wants to “be a leader” this year, to show his younger teammates the way to be a professional on the court and off. He did not mention marijuana or Rihanna.
“Just ‘show instead of say’ and stuff like that,” said Smith, who is entering his 11th NBA season. “‘Sheed [Rasheed Wallace], J Kidd [Jason Kidd] — those guys led by example and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
Whether Smith is up to the task is certainly up for debate. He was suspended five games at the beginning of last season for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program and fined $5,000 by the NBA for “recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct” following his repeated stunt of untying opponents’ shoelaces at the free throw line.
Smith, who had offseason knee surgery last year that hampered him early in the season, expects a far better season for himself and the Knicks. He’s on board with Carmelo Anthony’s prediction that the Knicks will reach the playoffs after missing out this past season.
“Absolutely. We should be,” Smith said. “We should have been one last year. This year, definitely.”