Jr Smith has been arrested in Texas on one charge of assault causing bodily injury family violence, placing the former NBA guard back in the headlines for off-court reasons rather than anything connected to basketball. He is being held at the Hunt County jail, with no bond set.
A career that stretched across 16 NBA seasons
The arrest comes after a long professional career that saw Smith play 16 seasons in the NBA and win two championships. He was named the Sixth Man of the Year with the Knicks in 2013, then captured his first title with the Cavaliers alongside LeBron James in the 2015-16 season.
Smith's last appearance in an NBA game came on October 4, 2020, when he played in Game 3 of the Finals between the Lakers and Heat. He has not formally announced his NBA retirement.
Life after basketball
In May, Smith graduated with a Liberal Arts degree from North Carolina A&T. He had recently been playing in amateur golf tournaments after finishing his studies, a reminder that his post-NBA life had started to move in a different direction.
For now, though, the focus is on the legal case in Texas and the fact that one of the more recognizable former NBA guards of his era is in custody with no bond set.
