How is The Net Worth of JR Smith a Stunning $35m?

What is JR Smith’s net worth? 

The Usual Intro

Earl Joseph Smith III, widely recognized as JR Smith, is a 37-year-old former basketball player. JR was a two-time NBA champion in 2016 and 2020, respectively. He led a prominent career in basketball playing as a shooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before the Spotlight

Earl Joseph Smith was born on September 9, 1985 in New Jersey to professional sports players Earl Smith JR and Ida Smith. JR went to several high schools in five years: Steinert High, McCorristin Catholic High, and Lakewood High. 

He played basketball for the Lakewood High team for two seasons and then transferred to Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School. During his college years in North Carolina, he fully committed to playing basketball.

Smith has a total of 5 siblings; three brothers, and two sisters. He played alongside his brother Chris during the 2013-14 season. His younger brother Dimitrius was a football player in college.

The Journey to Success

JR made his professional debut in the 2004 season as the 18th pick for the New Orleans Hornets. By the 2006 season, he had been traded to the Denver Nuggets. JR had a rough start with the new team. He was given a 10-game suspension due to his involvement in a brawl against the Knicks on December 16, 2006. 

He then underwent knee surgery and was out for a further eight games. A few years later, he had finally settled and became the first NBA player to record multiple games of ten+three pointers. Between the 2012 and 2015 seasons, he had a decent run with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls and New York Knicks.

His career reached new heights when he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015. They lost in the championship finals in JR’s first year, but bounced back in 2016, allowing JR to win his first ever ring. They took revenge on the Golden State Warriors and secured their championship. 

JR Smith also reached the two successive finals but lost to the Warriors again. He joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, and in his first and only season, won his 2nd championship by defeating the Miami Heat. He retired soon after that season.

JR made a career change to college golf to pursue another passion. In 2021, he signed up with the esports organization Complexity Gaming and played the Warzone tournament under their banner. Aside from sports, Smith is also a model. He has worked for companies like Nike and Supreme in the past.

The Best Moments

• Became a two-time NBA Champion with two teams.
• Was named as NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2013.
• Became a CBA All-Star and the CBA scoring champion in 2012
• Shared the co-MVP award with Dwight Howard at the 2004 McDonald’s All-American Game at age 19
• Smith has accumulated a staggering 12,148 points at an average of 12.4 points per game
• Has an assists record of 2,077 at an average of 2.1

The Private Side

Joseph is currently happily married to Jewel Harris. They tied the knot in 2016 and have three daughters; Demi Smith, Peyton Smith, and Dakota Smith. One of his daughters is from a previous relationship.

Smith has had a long list of controversies. In 2007, he was involved in two car accidents. In his first crash, he was with his friend Carmelo Anthony who remained unharmed. However, in the second accident, his best friend Andre Bell passed away from his injuries.

JR Smith’s Related Video

Famous Quotes of JR Smith

• “Worse come to worse … my motto is, ‘When in doubt, shoot the ball.’ So, when in doubt, I’m going to shoot it and hopefully that don’t catch nobody off guard.”
  
• “I’d rather take a contested shot than an open shot any day … It’s kind of boring when you take open shots.”
  
• “Trying to think about the rest of the team over myself or my scoring is something that I never really had to do before.”

Lessons for Entrepreneurs

JR’s historic rise as an elite basketballer has been inspiring. Here are some lessons to learn from his life:

1. Always push forward. Smith has often stated that whenever he starts to doubt himself, he speaks to himself and says that going back is not an option. The only way is to push forward and move towards your goal.
   
2. Do not stay on one path. Alongside his remarkable career as an athlete, JR has expanded his goals elsewhere. He left the NBA to pursue a degree in the liberal arts and play golf at a collegiate level.
   
3. Learn to adapt and change. Since his youthful years, JR has been all around the block. At high school level, he spent five years in 4 schools. Similarly, he played for six teams during the course of his career and never struggled to adapt and learn the basics of a new team again. 

The Unusual Stuff

Here are some interesting facts about JR Smith that you might not know:

• Smith had an astounding 4.0 GPA at North Carolina A&T State University.
• He is described as the most heavily tattooed player in the NBA.
  
• The whole Smith family are avid supporters of Hilary Clinton and even appeared on stage for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
  
• He has the Supreme logo tattooed on his calf to commemorate his modeling for the brand.
  
• In 2007, he was charged with reckless driving and sentenced to 90 days in a Monmouth County Jail.

Answering Frequent Questions

Why did JR Smith retire?

Smith called it quits on his basketball career in 2020 as he believed he had already achieved all that there was to in the NBA. He decided to try something new and got enrolled into a liberal arts degree and started playing golf.

When did JR Smith win the NBA?

JR won his first National Basketball Association championship in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and his second with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

What is JR Smith’s shirt number?

JR Smith has had a long list of shirt numbers, including 23, 1, 5, 8, and 21. He played under the five during his time with the Cavaliers and Number 21 in his Lakers days.

The Closing Remarks

Establishing a net worth of over $35 million and being regarded as an all-time great in the history of the NBA, JR Smith has successfully achieved all that there is to in the world of basketball. The star player is now aiming for new heights in other aspects of life and remains a significant name in the industry.