J.R. Smith was seen beating up a protestor who tried to break into his car in Los Angeles.
NBA veteran and soup connoisseur J.R. Smith was in the news for the wrong reason on Sunday, as protests erupted nationwide in the wake of the George Floyd shooting at the hands of Minneapolis police.
A video, which was captured by TMZ Sports, showcased Smith beating up a protestor who he claims was trying to break into his vehicle. The aftermath of the alleged attempted thievery was violent and quickly went viral, providing Smith with some unnecessary backlash on a day that was meant to showcase racial solidarity.
Why was J.R. Smith beating up a protestor in Los Angeles?
The man, who hasn’t been identified to the media, broke Smith’s front window. The 34-year-old struck quickly, shoving the protestor to the ground and kicking him several times.
On Monday, Smith was interview by Pat McAfee and explained the situation in detail. He also made it clear that his retaliation against a white male was not a hate crime, despite the current racial distrust that exists in most major cities in America.
“You want to peacefully protest — a hundred percent, we can do that all day. But once you get to vandalizing people’s personal property that has nothing to do with nothing — and a hundred percent, honestly, I’m the only black guy on my block; I’m the only black person on this corner,” Smith said.
Smith also said he regrets his “stupidness” in beating the alleged car vandal.
The shooting guard played in 11 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, but has yet to be picked up by any team in 2020. He remains very good friends with LeBron James, and was seen cycling with LBJ and Anthony Davis through L.A. just days ago.
J.R.’s explanation for his actions is warranted, despite how violent they may look upon first glance. For future reference: Do not steal a professional athlete’s car under any circumstances.