During JR Smith’s tenure as a New York Knick, he developed a bit of a reputation. After a brief fling with Rihanna, Smith got called out by the singer, who said that Smith was hungover during games because he’s “clubbing every night.” He was also reprimanded for sending a tweet with an explicit photo of Tahiry Jose. And then there was the infamous slide into a woman’s DMs to ask if she was “trying to get the pipe.”
Smith’s actions created an image of a wild child, staying out until all hours of the night and, for some reason, consuming excessive amounts of Hennessy. Smith even earned the nicknamed of “Henny God,” something that immediately stuck.
But during a recent appearance on Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson’s podcast “Knuckleheads,” Smith said that he rarely drinks the titular liquid that makes up his moniker.
The Henny God is in the building, and he’s got some stories.
In Episode 3, @TheRealJRSmith joins the Knuckleheads to share why he chose basketball, how he found his role amidst greatness and more. (In partnership with @HennessyUS)
🔊: https://t.co/ZyWXxhBjNe pic.twitter.com/of3GFqL9yp
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) March 5, 2019
“No lie, this is the third glass of Henny I’ve ever had,” Smith said of the cup of Hennessy he’s drinking during the recording of said podcast. “Shoutout to Hennessy. I’ll take the name. I appreciate it. Keep pushing it.”
Smith said he doesn’t understand where the nickname actually came from, or how it caught on so quickly.
“For me, it happened within a year,” Smiths said. “I went from Sixth Man of the Year to Henny God of the Year in a year. Not even! In a couple months!”
So Smith doesn’t even drink Hennessy. Our entire lives have been a lie.
