The Cleveland Cavaliers announced veteran JR Smith would be suspended for one game ‘for conduct detrimental to the team’ before Thursday night’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. On Friday it was reported that the suspension came about after the mercurial Smith threw soup at assistant coach and former Cavs guard Damon Jones.
ESPN reported the details of the suspension Friday morning, adding that Smith was expected back at practice following Thursday’s loss.
Coach Tyronn Lue said before the game against the 76ers that Smith was suspended for something that happened after shootaround Thursday morning but didn’t offer specifics. He added that Smith will be ready for practice Friday and return for the team’s game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
J.R. Smith is accused of throwing soup at assistant Damon Jones after Thursday’s shootaround
Damon Jones once played for the Cavaliers (left) before retiring and becoming an assistant coach for the franchise (right). On Friday it was reported J.R. Smith threw a bowl of soup at him, but there has not been any explanation as to why the veteran guard would do that
In this picture from February, Smith, a New Jersey native is seen eating what looks to be an empanada during a college game between Seton Hall and DePaul
ESPN’s report reads that Smith threw a ‘bowl of soup’ at Jones, although it has not been explained how Smith came into possession of a bowl of soup following the team’s shootaround on Thursday morning.
There has been no explanation for why Smith would throw soup at Jones.
Rodney Hood started in Smith’s place against the Sixers and scored 11 points.
Smith is averaging 8.3 points and 1.9 assists in 59 games (56 starts) this season. The 32-year-old has seen his playing time dip in the team’s last three games, getting a season-low 15 minutes on the court against the Memphis Grizzlies last Friday.
The timing could not have been worse for Smith, whose decline in minutes can be attributed to trade deadline acquisitions such as Hood as well as guards Jordan Clarkson and George Hill.
Smith spent the days following the Cavs’ 2016 title win without a shirt, prompting then-president Barack Obama to ask Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue to request that Smith put it on
Even before it was reported that Smith was accused of throwing soup at an assistant coach, NBA fans had an inkling that the reason behind his one-game suspension would be interesting
Many NBA fans tweeted reference’s to Seinfeld’s famous ‘Soup Nazi’ episode
This is, of course, not the first time Smith has exhibited questionable behavior.
Not only has he been fined twice for untying opponents’ shoes during a game, but he’s also been suspended after pleading guilty to reckless driving in 2009, he seemingly referenced gangs in a tweet that same year, and in 2012 he was arrested for failing to appear in court after being cited for operating a motor-scooter without a valid license.
As a player, Smith is known as a somewhat erratic and thoroughly undisciplined shooter. Not only does his shot selection come under frequent scrutiny, but Smith’s defense is known for fluctuating with his effort level
Most famously, Smith spent the days following the Cavs’ 2016 title without a shirt, prompting then-president Barack Obama to ask Lue during a congratulatory phone call to get him to put his shirt back on.
As a player, Smith is known as a somewhat erratic and thoroughly undisciplined shooter. Not only does his shot selection come under frequent scrutiny, but Smith’s defense is known for fluctuating with his effort level.
In the 2017 postseason, fivethirtyeight.com pointed out that Smith’s postseason defense was statistically better against Indiana All-Star Paul George than Boston role player Avery Bradley.
Fans and sportswriters had some fun at Smith’s expense following the report.
Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck tweeted, ‘Though details are scarce, I’m assuming J.R. launched the soup from about 30 feet away, off balance, while riding a hoverboard and untying someone’s shoelaces. And that he missed.’
Many other people tweeted reference’s to Seinfeld’s famous ‘Soup Nazi’ episode.
Fans and sportswriters had some fun at Smith’s expense following the report
Those fluent in the growing field of basketball analytics may have chuckled at this tweet