J.R. Smith: 'Crazy to me' that Phil Jackson discussed my personal life
J.R. Smith wants his private life to stay private, and he's not happy with Phil Jackson - president and general manager of Smith's former team, the New York Knicks - for taking certain details public.
Having traded Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cleveland Cavaliers for virtually no return midway through last season, Jackson defended the move in a July interview with ESPN's Charley Rosen, pointing to Smith's "delinquent behavior" as the root cause of his decision.
"(Smith) had two strikes against him with this team," Jackson recalled. "He didn't really respond. He's a very sensitive guy, with his big doe eyes. He looked like he was going to tear up. But he finally responded that he was going through some issues with his gal."
That last revelation, in particular, stuck in Smith's craw, and seeing it put out there made him wary of opening up about his personal life in the future.
"It was crazy to me because I try to leave my personal life on the side and when somebody sits there, sits behind a desk and tells you to open up on what's going on with you, you're thinking that’s going to be between the two of y'all," Smith told ESPN's Ian Begley on Friday. "So, for me, it tells me something I already knew. But to come from someone like Phil, it's just, it's crazy. It makes you not want to tell anybody anything (that has) anything to do with your business. It was tough, but that’s how he handles stuff, that's how he does it."
Even after asking around, Smith hasn't been able to rationalize Jackson's lack of discretion.
"I've talked to a few people and they don't understand why he did it, but I definitely won't have that conversation with anybody else after that. So it just stuck with me. It's all right," Smith said.
After struggling badly with the Knicks to start the season, Smith was quick to settle in with the Cavs. He himself pointed to the change in lifestyle from New York to Cleveland as a crucial boon to his focus. He developed a strong relationship with coach David Blatt, improved his numbers across the board, and ultimately helped the team to within two games of an NBA championship.
Smith signed a two-year, $10-million deal this past summer to stay in Cleveland.