JR Smith, a former NBA player, claims that Michael Jordan’s competitive fire is still present.
Smith, who currently represents North Carolina A&T in Division I golf, revealed to Complex that he had played a round with Jordan.
After the first round, according to Smith, the two were tied, but in the second, Jordan “smoked” him, winning by three strokes.
Smith said, “The entire time,” when asked whether Jordan had “talked trash.”
Smith said that after placing bets on the next round—clarifying that he just intended to stake a few hundred dollars, not thousands—Jordan then started to disparage him.
He made a subtle swipe at me, Smith recounted. “Yes, you had a successful career,” he added. It wasn’t very good. It was nice having you.”
“I was like, Oh, that’s a nice one,” Smith said.
Smith’s career may not have been as successful as the six-time champions or the five-time MVP’s, but it was still a tremendous one by any standard.
Over the course of 16 seasons, the 36-year-old averaged 12 points per game, was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2012–13, won two titles, and is ranked 17th all-time in three points made.
Jordan’s brutality was yet sufficient to demoralise Smith and enable him to lose several hundred bucks.
Smith described the encounter as “one of the most childlike things I’ve had as a grown-ass guy.”
“Mike is that, sir. I kept staring at him and thinking, “Yo, he has the Jordans.””