Mar 30, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
JR Smith recalled the struggles he faced with the New York Knicks while recovering from a knee injury over a decade ago. The former NBA player revealed he didn't like how the Knicks handled it.
Smith was one of the most explosive guards in the NBA when he joined the Knicks in 2011. However, tragedy struck the NBA champion during the 2012-13 season when he injured his knee during the playoffs.
"I tore my meniscus. I had to sit out. Then they rushed me back. I’m hurting the whole time. I get addicted to pain pills. They know it…" Smith said on Tuesday, while appearing on The Pivot Podcast,
However, Smith claimed they didn't offer help. "Yo man, you good? Like, what can we do to help you, bro?" Instead, it was like "Nah, he’s terrible. Shipping him over to Cleveland."
Apr 4, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith (5) celebrates a three-pointer during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 122-102. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith (5) celebrates a three-pointer during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 122-102. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
"Like I’m dealing with a lot of s*** y’all don’t care. You literally don’t care at all," added the former player.
Smith tore his meniscus during the second-round series against the Indiana Pacers. However, he continued to play through injury with fluid in his knee before undergoing surgery in July 2013.
Four months later, he was back on the floor in November for the next season. Smith hadn't fully recovered, yet he was still expected to play.
Smith continued his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers before one final season with the Lakers (2019-2020). However, he continued battling mental health issues.
JR Smith opens up about his mental health battles
During the same interview, Smith revealed that he was depressed for about "70%" of his NBA career. After the experience with the Knicks, leaving the Cavaliers and spending 20 months as a free agent was tough.
In fact, he was ready to retire before joining LeBron James and the Lakers before the 2019-20 season.
"I went through a very depressed state for a long time," Smith said in 2020after winning the NBA Championship, as per CBS Sports.
"I'm a big video gamer, (but) I didn't even play [NBA] 2K anymore. I don't want to hoop, I don't want to work out, I don't want to play 2K, I don't want [to] do anything with basketball," he added.
While that win gave him closure, even today, Smith hasn't won his battle with depression completely. Even today, he regrets how his battle with mental health didn't let him realize his full potential.
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Written by
Nandjee Ranjan
Edited by
Sagnik Bagchi