J.R. Smith made one of the biggest mistakes in NBA Finals history when he dribbled out the clock in Game 1 following an offensive rebound with the game tied, thinking the Cavaliers were ahead.
That was the last time in the series Cleveland seemed to have any chance to get a win, with Golden State running away with a win in overtime and then cruising to victories in the next three games for a sweep and their second straight championship. Smith struggled throughout the series with inconsistent shooting and, like the rest of the Cavs, spotty at best defense, but the lasting memory for most of this year’s Finals, for either team, will be that Game 1 blunder.
JR Smith didn’t know the score?! Chaos heading into overtime… https://t.co/NdKGnz30Cu
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) June 1, 2018
Cleveland likely would have still lost the Finals, but it was clear that the missed free throw by George Hill (which is overlooked because of Smith’s mental error) and Smith then dribbling out the clock killed any belief within that locker room that they could get the job done. Cavs fans probably don’t have much interest in ever seeing anything that will remind them of that game, but Warriors fans might be very interested in collecting a bit of memorabilia from that evening.
Lucky for them, Smith’s jersey is up for bid on NBA Auctions and will be available for bid until June 21 (Thursday) at 9:50 p.m. ET.
As of 10:45 a.m. ET on Monday, the top bid is $3,000 and I don’t know if that’s from a Warriors fan wanting to revel in that moment forever, or a Cavs fan hellbent on destroying it, but in any case, it’ll cost you a pretty penny to land the jersey.
