The 2016 NBA Finals will go down as one of the greatest matchups of all time. A 73-9 Golden State Warriors squad, led by the likes of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, grabbed a 3-1 series lead over LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
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Much to everyone’s surprise, Ty Lue’s boys played some of the most incredible basketball and managed to level the finals series at 3 games apiece.
In Game 7, Bron put up an impressive performance, helping the Cavs successfully upset the Warriors. Apart from recording a 27-point, 11-rebound, and 11-assist triple-double, the King even had one of the greatest defensive plays in playoff history.
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JR Smith wants credit for the LeBron James block
Around the 1:52-minute mark of the final period of Game 7, LeBron sprinted back towards the basket and successfully completed a surreal chase-down block.
Years later, in a podcast appearance, JR Smith revealed that he believed that he deserved credit for Bron’s play.
“Me (I) and Bron used to do that every time. Somebody switch, if he got the ball and it is you on the break, just know I’m coming. Just give me a split second and I’ll get to it. I didn’t look behind me, none of that. Andre Iguodala go(es) up, extra second, block, win, championship.”
Smith continued that fans should be appreciating his defense on Andre Iguodala that helped LBJ block that shot. Instead, according to JR, fans only trolled him for the crucial blunder he committed in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals.
“You don’t give me credit for that because he got the block. But you give me credit for the loss because I rebound the ball and dribbled it out. On top of that, I’m the one who made him slow the ball up… It’s a totally different narrative to what suits the situation. (Are) You gonna call Batman the villain or (are) you gonna call Joker the villain? They called me the Joker for 10 years already, so what (are) you gonna do?”
What did JR Smith do in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals?
Back in 2018, the Warriors met the Cavs in the finals for the 4th straight time.
During Game 1, King James put up a staggering 51-point performance. Unfortunately, that came to no good because of Smith’s costly blunder.
Here, have a look at what went down on 31st May 2018.
Instead of going for the win, the former 6MOTY dribbled the clock out and the Warriors managed to grab a 124-114 win in overtime.
JR still sounds vindictive and his spin on the events might have some weight. But as fans, do you think JR is responsible more for the win or the loss?
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