Published 19:01 IST, July 1st 2020
JR Smith drops major hint about Lakers jersey number, fires back at critics on Twitter
JR Smith to Los Angeles Lakers appears to be on the verge of completion. Smith took to Instagram and may have hinted his jersey number at the Lakers.
Advertisement
'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.
Free agent guard J.R. Smith and the Lakers are working through final steps of a deal today and he will be added to roster for the Orlando restart, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2020
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 "Your messenger might have outdated information.”
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.
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’s original Lakers workout was pushed back because of other factors surrounding the Lakers at the time. I was told that at Lakers/Sixers the day before a tragic day in #Lakernation.
— 👑📍Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, M.A. (@ScoopB) February 6, 2020
Workout doesn’t guarantee roster spot.
My original report : https://t.co/0JioYRVb7H pic.twitter.com/H4Aojdfi0W
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.
Also Read | JR Smith Stats: Signs With Lakers Rumour Proving To Be True As Deal Nearly Finalised: Report
(Image Credits: AP)
19:01 IST, July 1st 2020