About J. R. Smith
Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Smith played high school basketball at New Jersey basketball powerhouse Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark. He entered the NBA out of high school after being selected in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets. He has also played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, and the Cleveland Cavaliers as well as for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Smith won two NBA championships, with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. A freshman in 1999–2000, Smith went to Steinert High for the first semester and then McCorristin Catholic High for the next, both in New Jersey. During his first season in Denver, Smith served a 10-game NBA suspension from December 18 to January 8 following his involvement in the Knicks/Nuggets melee at New York's Madison Square Garden on December 16. After struggling in the first four games of the Nuggets' first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, including going 0-for-12 from 3-point range, Smith was benched for Game 5 of the series.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.