JR Smith drops major hint about Lakers jersey number, fires back at critics on Twitter

'JR Smith to Lakers' had been among the NBA trade rumours for almost the entirety of the current season. The former New York Knicks star has been a free agent since he was waived off by Cleveland Cavaliers in July 2019. However, as it seems JR Smith will be added to the Lakers roster ahead of the NBA restart in Orlando this month. According to recent reports, JR Smith to Lakers is almost a done deal as both parties are just ironing out the details of his contract.

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While fans on social media might be unsure if JR Smith being the best available player for the Lakers, the 34-year-old himself seems determined to make good use of the opportunity. The former Cavaliers star took to Instagram to fire back at his critics with an inspiring message. "Don’t assume you know me by what you heard; I grow daily," his post read. "Your messenger might have outdated information.”

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Interestingly, the 34-year-old captioned his post with the hashtag '#21', which could well be the soon-to-be Lakers star hinting at the JR Smith Lakers jersey number. While the former NBA champion did not specifically state it could be his jersey number at LA, fans are convinced that JR Smith will be donning the No. 21 for the Lakers when the season restarts on July 30. 

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This makes more sense as JR Smith's last jersey number,  No. 5 with the Cavs, is currently occupied by rookie Talen Horton-Tucker. Smith wore the same number when he was with Denver Nuggets. The 34-year-old wore No. 8 when he was with the Knicks. However, No. 8 along with No. 24 have been retired by the Lakers in honour of the late Kobe Bryant. 

JR Smith stats

Smith was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans (then New Orleans Hornets) as the 18th overall pick in the 2004 draft. He has spent 15 seasons in the NBA playing for the Knicks, Cavaliers and Nuggets. JR Smith and LeBron James were on the same team that won the title in 2016. Smith is also a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year. The JR Smith stats are 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this season.

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(Image Credits: AP)