2016 champion J.R. Smith revealed that former teammate LeBron James once discouraged him from playing golf during the playoffs. Now, it's a habit James has since taken up himself.

Scheduled to graduate from NC A&T State University on May 9th, Smith spoke to SLAM magazine and revealed that his former star teammate discouraged him from playing golf during the most important time of the season. 

"I was playing golf all of the Finals run we’ve made, and LeBron was telling me, ‘Why are you playing golf? You shouldn’t be playing golf,'” Smith said. "I guarantee you, right now, he’s on the golf course somewhere. So, who is really right?"

Smith also took credit for getting James interested in golf and added that the Los Angeles Lakers star is doing the same thing he once criticized his former teammate for.

“I want to say, I put him on golf. Cause he used to try to get me to stop playing,” he added. “Now all he do is play. He used to be so mad at me during the playoffs. ‘Come on, you gonna lose all your energy. You gonna be tired. I go on the app every other day. All I see is King James has finished his round.”

Previously, Smith revealed that the former teammates had planned a reunion of the 2016 championship Cleveland Cavaliers team. He also added that they might travel to Europe for a golf trip.

LeBron James canceled golf plans after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves injury

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round. LeBron James was playing as the third option on his team in the regular season. However, the Lakers suffered injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves just days before the playoffs began, forcing James to serve as the primary option while they were sidelined. 

James shifted his focus to playoff preparation, even if it meant canceling plans with his friends. According to Smith, the 41-year-old NBA star canceled their golf plan because he had to prepare for the playoffs. 

"We were supposed to play golf," Smith said in an interview on 6th May. "He's like, 'Man, I can't play golf. I've got too much on my shoulders right now. If this was five years ago, I would definitely play.' It's tough, man. It's always next man up mentality, so I'm excited to see who can possibly step up for them."

How far do you believe the Lakers can go in the playoffs? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Siddharth Rawat