Knicks guard J.R. Smith (Paul J. Bereswill)
He didn’t care one bit that it didn’t feel anything like a Big East Tournament championship game to the Garden. It was still the Garden, always a larger-than-life place for a Jersey boy with the biggest dreams, and his big brother was there watching him, seated right behind the Louisville bench.
The big brother who plays for the Knicks, J.R. Smith.
And when Louisville 50, Cincinnati 44 ended, big brother was on his feet cheering and applauding, and Chris Smith, standing on the Garden court cradling a basketball at his side, wore a smile you could have stretched all the way to Millstone, N.J., where it all began for him and for his big brother.
“It was amazing for me for me to know that he’s there, and to play in his building,” Chris Smith said. “It’s pretty much the greatest feeling ever right now. I mean, I got a lot of mixed emotions going on right now. You know, I started at Manhattan, and finished in New York. … It’s just a great feeling.”
His parents were standing right next to J.R., all of them beaming as the Louisville players jumped for joy.
“It’s like a dream come true, man,” J.R. Smith said. “I knew we were going to be on the road, that we couldn’t come to the Big East Tournament, but I knew if they kept winning they’d be in the finals I’d be able to make it. … I mean, it’s like a dream come true see him win it on the homecourt.”
J.R. wore a white Cardinals cap backward, and a red sweatshirt. I asked him if he gave little brother any advice before the game.
“I just told him to go play,” J.R. said.
Chris: “He came to the hotel and told me to go out there and just do my thing and play hard.”
He played hard. He also led his team with 15 points, helping Rick Pitino to his ninth career conference title.
“This is the first time my whole senior year that I have my whole family in the stands,” Chris Smith said.
Little brother is two years younger than big brother, whose latest indiscretion involved a $25,000 fine for posting a photo of a scantily-clad woman in a thong. But big brother can do no wrong in little brother’s eyes.
“He paid for my education at Louisville, because I’m a walk-on right now,” Chris said. “Once I transferred from Manhattan College, he was like, ‘OK, we’ll see if they have any scholarships available.’ And then they didn’t have any scholarships at the time, and then he was just like, ‘You know what? We’ll just pay for it. You just worry about playing and we’ll pay for it, don’t worry’”
J.R. said: “He’s my brother, I’ll do whatever it takes for him.”
Little brother is a 6-foot-2 senior. Big brother is 6-foot-6.
“We got the same game, really,” J.R. said. “The confidence is our biggest attribute in our game. As long as you go out there and play with confidence, nobody could mess with him.”
Chris: “We both pretty much have the bulldog mindset.”
From the Lakewood biddy leagues to St. Benedict’s Prep, everywhere J.R. turned, Chris was there.
“Wherever I was, he was,” J.R. said. “I always tried to beat him up as much as I can to make him as tough as I could. … It looks like it turned out well.”
The bulldog in little brother showed up immediately. Chris drilled a right corner 3-pointer in the opening minute and finished the half with 10 points to carry the Cardinals to a 24-14 lead over The Cincinnati Skids.
When Chris tipped in his own miss to make it 32-24, J.R. leaped to his feet. When Chris drained a left wing trey that made it 44-28, J.R. stood and held up three fingers and hi-fived a neighbor to his left.
Chris was asked if he heard J.R. during the game.
“Yeah I heard him,” Chris said. “My [three-year-old] niece [Demi] is here. That’s my heart right there.”
A year ago in the Big East Tournament final, Kemba Walker and Connecticut left Chris Smith and Louisville heartbroken.
“Kemba caught fire last year, but it’s our turn this year,” Chris Smith said.
Louisville’s turn. Little brother’s turn. With big brother in the house.