Former NBA champion JR Smith’s September arrest in Texas took an unexpected turn once officers realized who they were dealing with.
Smith was stopped and booked by the Royse City Police Department in Hunt County on a charge of assault causing bodily injury. The warrant came out of Southlake Police Department in Tarrant County and stemmed from an alleged incident involving a woman who was a family or household member or dating partner. Smith was later released after posting a $5,000 bond, and his attorney, Justin Moore, said Smith is presumed innocent and looks forward to resolving the matter.
Now, newly released bodycam footage shows that the arrest didn’t stay focused on the legal situation for long. As officers processed Smith, one Royse City police officer shifted the conversation toward basketball after recognizing him.
The exchange quickly turned into an NBA chat, with the officer asking about Smith’s championship résumé. Royse City PD Officer: “So you got a ring with Kyrie?”
Smith answered: “Kyrie and LeBron. I’ve got two.”
The officer then replied: “He who shall not be named.” Smith followed with: “Not a fan?”
From there, the officer launched into a rant about the Dallas Mavericks and LeBron James, saying: “He [LeBron] stole Luka from us, man. He stole Luka from us - that was all him!
I’m still mad. If they’d just let Rick Carlisle coach like Rick Carlisle coach and let him condition…”
What started as an arrest in Texas ended up with a police officer venting about the Lakers’ blockbuster trade and Luka Doncic.
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