JR Smith is one of the more enigmatic players in the NBA although it's not always for the best of reasons. The "Henny God" has come under fire in the past for his bizarre plays and momentary lapses in both reason and judgment. For instance, who can forget his brainfart in the 2018 NBA Finals when he didn't realize that the game was tied. Since making that mistake, LeBron James left for the Los Angeles Lakers while Smith was ultimately released by the Cavaliers.
Recently, Troy Daniels was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers to create a roster spot. While Dion Waiters has been rumored to be of interest to the Lakers, it appears as though JR Smith could be on the roster, as well. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers are going to be working out both Smith and Waiters this week.
If Smith were to be signed by the Los Angeles Lakers, he would be reuniting with LeBron. This would truly be a strange sight when you consider how things ended between these two. Regardless, Smith would add some depth to this Lakers roster that is looking to make a deep run in the playoffs. Perhaps Smith can even make an impact and repair his reputation with LeBron and his fans.
Check out the reaction to the news, below.
Lou Williams Speaks Out On Argument With Paul George
Lou Williams and Paul George appeared to get into a heated exchange during their game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Lou Williams has been one of the most consistent sixth men in the NBA over the past few years and has been a great depth player for the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers are expected to be title contenders once the playoffs roll around and Williams will most likely be a huge part of that. Last night, Williams helped his team put away the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 136-130. It was a hard-fought game for both teams, especially the Clippers who struggled at times.
Amid those struggles, Williams appeared to get in an argument with Paul George over defensive assignments. As you can see in the clip below, the two players exchanged some words and eventually, the clip made its way to social media. Williams immediately took to Twitter to deescalate the situation.
"You can tell y’all never competed at a high level before. This a regular conversation," Williams said with some laughing emojis sprinkled in for good measure. Clearly, Williams doesn't want there to be any negative noise surrounding his team, especially with the playoffs just a month away.
As it stands, the Clippers are tied for second in the Western Conference with a record of 41-19.
LeBron James To Critics Of His Mentorship In The League: "Kiss My Ass"
LeBron James issues a fair warning on his approach in the NBA.
Sunday night marked the second meeting between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans as Zion Williamson and LeBron James put on a performance that highlight reels are made of.
Notably, the older James' demeanor on the court was characteristically chummy as he and the Lakers defeated New Orleans with a score of 122-114. At the game's end, James was seen taking Williamson in for a hug and speaking some words to him. In a post-game interview, he was asked what it was that he repeated to the rookie. Choosing no to reveal what he said, he instead focused on praising the likes of Williamson and other promising stars of the NBA's next generation.
"The league is in great hands with a guy like Zion, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, and the list goes on and on," he told journalists.
The topic was not left alone, either. Once James took to deliver on a few more words in the locker room, his relationship with Williams, Young and so on was brought back up as he was questioned on how he feels about those who may disagree with how he interacts with the younger guys on the court. The answer was clear.
“Anybody that says, ‘LeBron, why would he do that while he’s playing? He’s showing signs of weakness, he’s buddy-buddy with these guys he’s going against.’ Tell em to kiss my ass. With a smile, too.”
LeBron James Praises Ja Morant: "The Kid Is Super Special"
LeBron James has high praise for the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, Ja Morant. The two squared off Saturday night in Memphis.
Ja Morant continued his Rookie of the Year caliber season Saturday night, outplaying LeBron James and beating the Lakers 105-88. After the game, both players spoke about each other with high praise, according to ESPN.
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"The kid is super special," said James, "Like I said when we just played him in L.A., Memphis got a great one. They got a great one. So, the sky's the limit for the kid."
"That's big bro -- the King," Morant said. "I mean, I feel like everybody knows who he is. Just somebody that I look up to, a great [role] model. He's just one of a kind. I don't think there can be another LeBron."
Morant finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 6 rebounds in the dominating victory. He easily outplayed James who scored 19 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.
In the second half, Morant attempted a dunk on Lakers' big man Anthony Davis but was called for a charge; however, the sheer athleticism of the play was enough for it to make highlight reels.
"I think he would probably try anyone that was there," Davis said of the play. "He's done that a couple times this year. So I'm just trying to get a body in front of him and make him run me over."
Steph Curry’s Return To Warriors’ Line-Up Delayed
Steph Curry’s return to the Warriors lineup has been delayed until “sometime in March.”
Stephen Curry’s return to the Golden State Warriors has been pushed back from this weekend until “sometime in March,” according to ESPN.
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Head coach Steve Kerr explained the decision to reporters: “He put up a little bit of a fight but also understood why we wanted to take extra precaution.” He went on to say that the choice was not out of fear for reinjury, but to fit in extra conditioning.
“That allows for a more natural, stepping-stone to playing in an NBA game,” Kerr continued. “So I think our training staff was more comfortable with that, coaching staff was more comfortable with that. Steph wanted to play, but we’re just going to take the precautionary step and give him a little more prep.”
The all-star point guard broke his hand against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 30. In addition to Klay Thompson missing the entire 2019-20 season with a torn ACL, Curry’s injury has derailed the Warriors season who now sit at last in the Western Conference with a 12-47 record.
The team recently traded their newly signed guard D’Angelo Russell for the Timberwolves’ forward Andrew Wiggins before the trade deadline.
Curry plans to practice with the G League affiliate, Santa Cruz Warriors, on Monday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Responds To James Harden’s Comments
Giannis Antetokounmpo has no hard feelings towards James Harden.
Earlier today (Feb. 28), the reigning NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo addressed James Harden's comments that have been making headlines about his ability as a basketball player during a short interview prior to tonight's Bucks game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the 2020 NBA All-Star draft earlier this month, Charles Barkley asked the Nigerian Freak why he chose to pick Kemba Walker over James Harden during his drafting process against Lebron James. Without taking a moment to think about his answer, Antetokounmpo blatantly answered:
"I want somebody that’s going to pass the ball." 
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During a one-on-one sitdown with ESPN's, Rachel Nichols, James Harden didn't seem to take too kindly to Antetokounmpo's comments stating:
"I averaged more assists than (Walker) I think. I don’t see what the joke is. But I didn’t even see it, I don’t pay attention to stuff like that. I just know that none of them can mess with me."
Harden then proceeded to go in on Giannis' size saying:
"I wish I could just run and be seven feet and just dunk. Like, that takes no skill at all. I gotta actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill. I'll take that any day."
Antetokounmpo being the nonconfrontational person he is revealed that he holds no ill-will towards the league's leading scorer, responding:
"There hasn't been a back and forth. Like I'm not the type of guy—I never try to take stabs at somebody." Antetokounmpo said. "Maybe sometimes it might come out like that, but I'm definitely not. I'm just trying to do my job, which is win games and go back home to my family ... At the end of the day, if that's what he believes, that's what he believes. I can't say anything about it. I've just got to keep being focused."
While some media personalities may be trying to take sides, Antetokounmpo is focused on securing his first-ever NBA Champion a la James Harden. Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently averaging a total of 29.7 points per game while securing 13.7 rebounds while James Harden is averaging a league's best 35.2 points per game and dishing out 7.3 assists per game.
Check out Giannis Antetokounmpo's response to James Harden's animosity in the video provided below.
Kawhi Leonard Comes Through With Incredible Charitable Gesture
Kawhi Leonard has been doing a ton of charitable work ever since joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard had a big decision to make last summer. In the end, he opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers and become the face of the franchise. So far, his tenure has been a success as the Clippers boast a record of 39-19 and are third in the Western Conference standings. Los Angeles is a place Leonard called home for many years so his marriage with the Clippers has been a natural progression of his career. Now that he's back in L.A., Leonard has been doing wonders for his community and at every opportunity, he's tried to give back. With this in mind, it shouldn't be surprising that Leonard has yet another big charitable gesture planned.
According to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, Leonard will be giving out backpacks to everyone at tonight's Clippers game. Inside the backpack, there will be a note that tells people to "pay it forward" and fill the bag with goods so they can then donate them to someone in need. Leonard will also be handing out bags, Chromebooks, and school supplies to kids and teachers at Palm Middle School which he used to attend.
Needless to say, Leonard is doing his part to make his community a better place and these gestures will certainly go a very long way. Growing up in a low-income family can be stressful but when you receive gifts like this, it can make a huge difference.
We can't wait to see what else Leonard has planned in the future.
James Harden Posts Cryptic Tweet After Giannis Antetokounmpo Diss
James Harden hasn't been a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo's recent trash talk.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden were in competition for the MVP trophy last season. in the end, Giannis came away with the award, much to the dismay of Harden. Ever since the NBA Awards were handed out, the Greek Freak and Harden have had a bit of a rivalry brewing. Giannis has taken multiple shots at Harden and now, the latter is finally clapping back. During a recent interview with ESPN, Harden had a lot to say about Giannis and his talents.
"I average more assists him than [Walker], I think. I don't see what the joke is," Harden said. "I wish I could be 7-feet, run and just dunk. That takes no skill at all. I gotta actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill. I'll take that any day."
Following the release of the interview, Harden took to social media to share a cryptic message that many believe is yet another shot at Giannis.
"My house your house," Harden wrote. Clearly, he's trying to say that if you talk trash, you're going to get it thrown right back in your face. Fans are enjoying this recent spat as it's bringing an old school mentality back to the league. For now, the only way this beef could be settled is if the Rockets and Bucks make it to the NBA finals.
Whose side are you on in this beef? Let us know in the comments, below.
Jimmy Butler Puts Media Members On Blast For Heat Slander
Jimmy Butler has helped turn the Miami Heat into darkhorse contenders this season.
Jimmy Butler is known around the league as a bit of a wildcard but that hasn’t stopped him from playing his game and doing everything in his power to give his Miami Heat a win, night in and night out. Some felt like Butler didn’t have what it takes to be a leader but so far, he has proven everyone wrong. The Heat are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference and have the potential to make a splash with a deep run. It remains to be seen if the Heat can sustain this success but regardless, it’s clear the Butler experiment has worked so far in the 305.
Recently, Butler was asked about some of the criticism he has faced this year and as you can imagine, he doesn’t really care for it.
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“They can kiss my ass,” Butler said while speaking to Sports Illustrated. “You’re entitled to your opinion, but stay on the radio. You know, everybody’s big and bad on the internet. That’s O.K. The group of guys that we got, we’re gonna win. We’re gonna be fine. All I ask is that you keep that same energy when it’s like, ‘Ohhhh, [the Heat are] surprising all these people.’ Nope. I want you to still say that Jimmy made the wrong choice and their team is terrible.”
Butler has every right to feel this way especially with the way his team has been playing recently. If the Heat win a couple of rounds in the postseason, the pundits will certainly have a lot less to say moving forward.
Alex Caruso Hilariously Trolled By Warriors Fans With "MVP" Chants
Alex Caruso is used to receiving those types of chants at the Staples Center, not on the road.
Alex Caruso is one of the most enigmatic figures in the NBA, through no fault of his own. All Caruso has done is be himself, play his role, and get big buckets when the Los Angeles Lakers need him to. Caruso has been referred to as the "Bald Mamba" and LeBron James even calls him the GOAT from time to time. His unassuming appearance is the reason for all of these jokes but in a weird way, they all have their own level of sincerity. At the end of the day, Caruso is becoming a folk hero and the NBA is better off because of it.
Last night, Caruso and the Lakers took on the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center and came through with a 116-86 victory. Unfortunately for Caruso, he wasn't able to do much as he scored a whopping zero points and missed two free throws in the process. In the midst of one of his free throw attempts, Caruso received some playful ribbing from the crowd as Warriors fans chanted "MVP."
Caruso has received MVP chants in the passed although they typically come from the Lakers crowd who are doing it out of support. In the end, Caruso got the last laugh as his team won the game and are now 45-12 which is good enough for first place in the Western Conference. We're sure the win softened the blow of sarcastically being called the Most Valuable Player.
