Reputations matter in the NBA, just ask J.R. Smith. If almost any other player in the NBA had done this, they likely would’ve been assessed a regular foul – maybe, maybe a flagrant one. But because this is Smith, he received a flagrant 2 foul for shouldering Harrison Barnes to the ground. He did something similar in the NBA Finals last year, leading with his shoulder and knocking Draymond Green to the floor.
That foul only earned him a flagrant one foul. Smith probably didn’t deserve a flagrant 2, but referees have long memories, and Smith’s reputation for dirty plays didn’t do him any favors in this instance.
