J.R. Smith‘s most famous throw may be a bowl of soup at Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones but at least that one didn’t involve actual legal action.
Smith’s lesser-known throw of 2018 is not of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but of a fan’s cell phone in July when someone tried to take a picture of him on the streets of New York. We learned Thursday, though, that that event’s logistics are settled: Smith will pay up for the phone that he hucked into a construction site.
According to ESPN, Smith was not in court for the legal proceedings, but he did talk to police about the incident in August. A lawyer representing him said this week, however, told ESPN that the matter is now closed.
On July 26, a man told police that Smith grabbed his cellphone and threw it into a construction zone in Manhattan after the man tried to take a picture of Smith.
Spiro told reporters that Smith, 32, will pay $600 in restitution to the fan for his lost phone.
“We have reached dismissal in Cellphone-gate,” Spiro quipped to reporters.
Crime is no laughing matter, but I can’t think of a funnier image than Smith throwing someone’s cell phone into an open pit that will inevitably become some high-rise condos.
The incident only brings up more questions than answers, really. And since Smith is clearly paying for a new phone — probably an upgraded one given the passing of time and the advancement of technology — it’s okay to joke about such things.
But really, how did he throw the phone? Was it over a fence? Did he casually do it, tossing it over the fence without ever looking? Did he really launch it high over one of those POST NO BILLS wooden barriers? We really need specifics here, and much like the soup incident we probably never will truly know what happened there.
The lesson, if anything, is that you should ask for a picture with Smith before you just up and take one. Especially if you’re in a city constantly under construction.
