It seemed as if LeBron James put his neck on the line in January 2015 when he approved the Cavaliers' three-team trade that brought J.R. Smith to Cleveland.
The other piece in the deal, Iman Shumpert, was a no-brainer, a defensive specialist sorely needed in the struggling Cavs' playoff push. But Smith brought risk. His questionable decision-making on and off the court had resulted in suspensions, arrests and a bad reputation around the league.
But James, now 31, had known Smith, now 30, since Smith played high school basketball at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J., and James was at St. Vincent-St. Mary. James told Cavs general manager David Griffin he would take care of Smith.
As the Cavs opened the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night against the Toronto Raptors at Quicken Loans Arena, Smith remains grateful to James. In his 13-year career, he said the only other teammate who has shown that much faith in him is Carmelo Anthony, with whom he played for eight seasons in Denver and with the New York Knicks.
"The amount of pressure to walk in a room and say 'OK, I want this guy' and everybody else would be like, 'No,' and he'll be like, 'No, I want this guy.' That's amazing for somebody's self-esteem and confidence because they know what you bring to the table," Smith said of James. "I've always known what I brought to the table. It was just a matter of getting people to accept it and want it on their team.
"Just to see somebody like LeBron, someone of his stature willing ... I wouldn't say take a gamble, but take a chance on myself and Shump, it means a lot. The faith that he has in you, the faith that he has in himself that if worse comes to worse, 'If he does stray I can keep him in line,' it means a huge deal to me."
As Smith described his relationship with James after practice last week at Cleveland Clinic Courts, he talked about how James' expectations and work ethic trickle down to the rest of the team.
When it was suggested that James is like the Cavs' traffic cop, Smith said, "Yeah, for me he's the crossing guard. Nobody goes without him saying, 'Go,' and nobody stops without him saying, 'Stop.' "
Smith's "crossing guard" approves what he's seeing from Smith this season.
"I knew what J.R. was capable of, that's why when our GM came and said that he was bringing him in and was I happy with the decision he was making I was absolutely excited," James said. "There's not many 6-foot-6 guards that can shoot the ball and have a body like he has.
"I understand that he was ready to make a change in not only his personal goals, but to help a team. We've always preached defense _ I'm a huge defensive guy _ so it's great to have someone that kind of wants to be a part of that and just took that responsibility."
That responsibility came when Shumpert missed the first 21 games this season after undergoing surgery on his right wrist. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, then the defensive coordinator under now ex-coach David Blatt, told Smith he was going to have to guard the opponent's best player. Smith embraced the assignment and continues to prove to the Cavs he's more than just "Swish."
"Knowing J.R. from when he first got in the league, he's matured over the years. The biggest thing for J.R., he's become our best defensive player this year," Lue said, including James in that statement.
"People didn't think he could do that when he was with other teams. They thought he was just a specialist, a shooter, a scorer. Coming to this team, even last year, but this whole year he's really stepped up and taken the challenge defensively."
Smith said he's played good defense before, but never for this long a stretch. In Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks during the Cavs' Eastern Conference semifinal sweep, Smith came up with an interception that could rival a Browns defender.
"I took the approach this year no matter what they needed me to do, I was going to do it," Smith said. "I took that initiative at the start of the season a lot of times, but this year is the most complete year that I've followed through with playing defense on a consistent basis, making sure I'm not the guy who we're watching in the film get yelled at."
With the Cavs, Smith's priorities in life seemingly have changed. Smith said he spends a lot of time with James' family, especially LeBron Jr., 11, and Bryce, 8.
"They're trying to play me two-on-one, they're trying to cheat me right now," Smith said. "I'll get 'em one-on-one this summer."
Asked if the boys hang on him to keep him from shooting, Smith said, "Surprisingly his kids have so much of him in them, they're smart basketball players already. They keep moving the ball until I get tired or stop moving, then they go lay it up or shoot a jumper."
Smith said he might have to take James' sons golfing "so I've got a chance."
"Bron won't play, so I've got to take the kids out," Smith said.
That will have to wait until after the season ends. Smith said he no longer hits the links on his days off, but rests instead.
"I must. I tried that last year and I got too burnt out," he said.
There are other perks to being a close friend of James. TMZ Sports recently reported that Smith's representatives had been contacted about Smith's possible involvement in Space Jam 2, a sequel to the 1996 smash starring Michael Jordan in pre-production by Warner Bros. James' media company, SpringHill Entertainment, signed a content deal with Warner Bros. last summer, starting rumors that James would reprise Jordan's role.
Smith believes his friendship with James will last a long time and also realizes how special his career has been. Smith has spent two seasons with James, eight seasons with Anthony and one with Chris Paul with the New Orleans Hornets in 2005-06.
"To have the three of them is unheard of," Smith said. "Some guys play with one great player for a year or a couple months. To be able to play with these great players in 13 years, it's been amazing."
Nor does Smith take for granted his postseason history. He reached the playoffs five times with Anthony in Denver, two more with him with the Knicks and twice with the Cavs, reaching the NBA Finals a year ago.
"A lot of guys who have been in the league 12 or 13 years have been in the playoffs maybe twice," Smith said. "To be able to say you went nine out of 13 years, that's something I'm proud of."
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