If there is ever an NBA Lockout again, I’m guessing The JR Smith Chinese Basketball Experience may be used as a cautionary tale to describe why you maybe don’t actually want to bide your time hooping in China. Assuming you’re an NBA level player, who’d have the option to make a few million to during the Lockout barnstorming through the Chinese Basketball Association.
Things didn’t go too well for JR, who was accused of faking injuries so he didn’t have to play and abusing team offered amenites. Additionally, it appears, a recent report also says that Smith was also fined over $1 million dollars for skipping practices.
This from NiuBball.com (via Los That Sports Blog):
According to a report published by NetEase, Smith had US $1.06 million deducted from his salary over the course of the season for missing practices. Most of the missed practices came during pre-season.
“This was the arrangement when he came to the team,” said Zhao. “Every practice we let him know. If he expressed to us that he wasn’t going to come to practice, we’d tell him that in accordance with our contract, we’re deducting money from your salary. And he’d always get back to us with, ‘Whatever. If you’re going to take it, then just take it.’”
I’m admittedly torn on that quote from JR. Initially, I laughed out loud when I first read it. Whatever, then just take. After I thought about it for a minute though, I became insanely jealous of the idea that he could actually afford to do that. I’m not hating at all, I wish I had the ability to make a financial decision like that and still be okay.
Things are basically all good for Smith now though. He’s teaming up with the NBA story of the season, and after toiling around angrily in obscure anonymity, he’s on Broadway. Bright lights, big shots, Spike Lee, Jeremy Lin, and all that is the New York Knickerbockers these days. So good for Smith. In his first game he went for 15 points, hit a few three’s, and also dished out two assists and grabbed three rebounds in a win on Sunday.
On Monday he grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 3 dimes, but only finished with 4 points in a loss however. So moving forward, I think practice with his new team might be a good idea. It’s one thing to cut your losses in China, but it would be a totally different deal to start missing game checks now that he’s back where he always wanted to be in the NBA.
