LeBron James didn’t exactly let JR Smith get the last word.
A short clip that made the rounds on X, formerly Twitter, showed the two former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates in the middle of a lighthearted exchange after James’ new golf YouTube channel launch. Smith seemed to poke at his old teammate after what appeared to be a missed shot, and then delivered the line: “You can’t wake up and become LeBron James everyday; sometimes you gotta be JR Smith.”
James answered right away: “Nah f*** that,” he almost immediately said.
The moment came as James’ golf content continues to draw attention, with Draymond Green becoming the channel’s first subscriber soon after it went live.
Golf has become a new lane for James, and it’s also fueled talk that the Philadelphia 76ers’ forward is thinking beyond basketball. He didn’t pick up the game until after he turned 40 in 2024, and he’s said it was never really something that interested him before.
What pulled him in, by his own account, was the challenge. James likes putting himself in uncomfortable spots, and golf fits that bill.
“When I turned 40, I said it was that and chess; I've never played chess as well. So that will be next, but right now, I'm locked in on golf.”
That competitive streak is still the same one that made James a force for so long. Even now, he still carries the edge and drive that defined his career, and the golf club is just the latest place he’s trying to master.
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Meleek Thomas May Have Already Forced The Cavs Into A Decision
Meleek Thomas did enough in Summer League to make the Cavaliers rethink the shape of their backcourt, and that alone says plenty about how quickly a young player can alter a front offices plans. Cleveland had brought in Dennis Schroder to stabilize the guard rotation, but Thomas early impression gave the team a reason to consider a different path, one that prioritized flexibility and a clearer look at the rookies place in the rotation.
The result is a small but meaningful decision point for the Cavs as they sort out their guard depth and cap picture. Teams around the league are already making similar judgment calls on veterans and younger talent, weighing immediate help against longer-term roster room, and Cleveland appears to have been pushed into its own version of that choice sooner than expected. The only thing left is whether Thomas summer surge turns into something the Cavs can keep building around once the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Just Got Pulled Into A Wild Kevin Durant Trade Idea
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For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious even if the realism is shaky. Any scenario involving a player of Durants caliber instantly changes the conversation, while the rest of the proposed structure adds another layer of intrigue for a team that would have to weigh present-day impact against long-term flexibility. For now, though, it remains exactly what it is: a speculative idea that has not been confirmed by any of the teams involved, with plenty still to sort out before it becomes anything more than an offseason talking point. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Just Opened A Door To Another Roster Move
The Cavaliers move to send Dennis Schroder out and bring Tre Mann back in was less about shaking up the rotation and more about creating options. ESPN analyst Zach Kram viewed Clevelands side of the deal as a solid one, noting that the swap trims salary and gives the front office a little more breathing room as it continues to manage the roster.
Schroder was not expected to leave a major on-court hole, which is part of why this transaction stands out as a functional basketball move rather than a headline-grabber. For Cleveland, the real significance may be what comes next, since the deal quietly opens a door to another roster decision the team can make with more flexibility than it had before. [Read more 🡒]