J.R. Smith breaks down talking about his father after NBA championship win (VIDEO)
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ J.R. Smith gave an emotional post-game interview after his first NBA championship win, that left even the reporters in the room clapping with applause.
“Today is so special to me,” Smith said. “It’s on Father’s Day. My dad put the ball in my crib.”
He gathered himself for a moment before he continued.
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“I mean, my parents, my family, that’s the biggest inspiration in my life. I’ve been in a lot of dark spots in my life, and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to get out of it. But they are who they are. They fought with me. They yelled at me, they screamed at me, they loved me, they hugged me, they cried with me, and they always stuck by my side no matter right or wrong.”
The 30-year-old basketball star also spoke to overcoming his troubled past and how his family has always had his back.
“My dad is easily one of my biggest inspirations to play this game,” Smith said. “To hear people talk bad about me, it hurts me because I know it hurts him, and that’s not who I am. And I know he raised me better, and I know I want to do better.”
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“Everything I do is for my parents and my family. The cars is nice, the houses is nice, but none of this matters without them. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. I don’t know where I would be. Honestly, if it wasn’t for them — if it wasn’t for the structure and the backbone that I have — I wouldn’t be able to mess up and keep coming back and being able to sit in front of you as a world champion.”
J.R. Smith has had multiple homes in the NBA over his 12-year career, including the New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, but his first championship ring is with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs pulled off a historic comeback, beating the Warriors 93-89 after a 3-1 deficit and brought home the first NBA championship title in franchise history.
https://youtu.be/Up12Su7-JeQ
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