JR Smith Blamed Everyone Except Himself For His Mistake In The 2018 NBA Finals: "Nobody Wanted To Take Responsibility For It"

JR Smith explained what really happened during his infamous mistake in the 2018 NBA Finals.

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

JR Smith has been famous for many things, as he's become some sort of a living meme. The former NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers is no longer part of the league, but his stories will always be remembered by the fans. 

Besides his supposed love for Hennessy (which he denied), Smith has been known for other things, like the time he was shut down in the Orlando bubble for criticizing his hotel food, but the story that will forever stick with Smith, is the infamous blunder at the end of regulation of Game 1 in the 2018 NBA Finals. 

That season, the Cleveland Cavaliers landed in the Finals trying to win their second NBA championship against the Golden State Warriors, and they looked like they stood a chance against the overpowered Warriors until a mistake by JR cost them the first game and presumably the series.  

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JR Smith Talks About His Infamous Mistake In The 2018 NBA Finals 

Last year, he spoke with former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall on 'I AM ATHLETE,' where he explained how hard that situation was for him. Smith claimed that he made the right play since going for the points or a pass would have been deadly for the Cavaliers. 

“I already knew we had a timeout. I get the rebound and I think it’s five other times in the season we were put in the same situation. First thing we do, we get the rebound, we call a timeout, get the ball to LeBron, space out, he’s gonna make it work. I did think we were up by one. In this situation, we got the rebound, we called a time out and we got a chance to win. What better chance we got? But long story short, don’t go that way.”

Smith added that he felt really bad after that moment, especially knowing that nobody backed it up following his mistake. 

"It was an island because none of the coaches said s**t. It was like nobody wanted to take responsibility for it, so you left me with it. You know what I’m saying? And it’s like, okay, cool. If that’s the way you want to play it, we can’t call ourselves a real team," Smith said.

He explained what went through his mind at that moment, and why he made that controversial decision, giving a good explanation. 

"Now granted, this a tied ballgame. 'Oh why you ain’t shoot it?' I get the rebound. I got KD, who’s seven foot, stick his hand up, he’s 10 feet tall. I got another dude who’s my height right behind me. What else am I gonna do with the ball other than dribble it out?" Smith said.

That play will always be with Smith, as he really missed a big chance to do something good with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They would crumble in overtime, losing Game 1. That result really took a toll on them, and they were swept by the Warriors, with Kevin Durant taking home his second consecutive Finals MVP award. 

A lot has been said about what could have happened if Smith made a different decision, but there's nothing we can do about it now.

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