Knicks guard J.R. Smith says he believes his reputation played a role in the NBA’s decision to suspend him.
“Yeah, I don’t think [there's] something that anybody’s seen that was deliberate about it. The [NBA] did. Just got to take it for what it is,” Smith said.
Smith was suspended for Wednesday’s game against Detroit after striking Wizards guard Glen Rice Jr. in the groin. It was Smith’s third suspension (seven total games) in the last three seasons. He has also been fined on several occasions, totaling more than $100,000.
NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn told The Associated Press that the league's decision to suspend Smith had nothing to do with his past. The NBA also suspended Atlanta's Dennis Schroder for striking DeMarcus Cousins' groin last season.
Smith said he wasn’t surprised that the NBA suspended him, but added that his hit was unintentional.
“I was just trying to clear space. It was a short shot clock; I was trying to clear space to get as close to the basket as I could to get the shot off. It definitely wasn’t anything intentional,” Smith said. “At this stage of my career, with all the suspensions and stuff like that, once I knew I had to make the phone call [to the league] something was going to come down from it. It is what it is, just got to move on and try and win some games.”
Question: Do you think J.R. Smith suspension's was fair?
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