Skip to content

J.R. Smith unhappy with Three-Point Contest snub

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

It was no secret that J.R. Smith - and LeBron James - wanted the Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard in All-Star Saturday Night's Three-Point Contest. Now that Smith has officially been left out of the competition, neither is hiding their disappointment.

"I might take the Marshawn Lynch approach on this one, so I don't get fined," Smith said Friday, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I got a lot to say about it, but I'm not going to say anything because it's not going to help it."

Related: Curry, Thompson, Lowry headline Three-Point Contest field

Smith is enjoying another fine season of 3-point marksmanship for the first-place Cavs, with the 12-year veteran posting his best 3-point percentage (39.6) in seven years along with an above-average conversion rate for the ninth time in his career.

Still, it wasn't enough to get the 30-year-old an invite to All-Star weekend in Toronto, where he'll have to watch players like 19-year-old Devin Booker instead.

"There can't be too many guys in the field that has more career threes or more games with eight or more made in a game that's actively still playing now," James said of his snubbed teammate.

While Smith has often garnered attention for his questionable on-court antics, there's no denying his place among the best shooters of his generation. Since Smith entered the NBA in 2004, only Kyle Korver, Ray Allen, and Joe Johnson have connected on more trifectas.

Although those three players have made a combined 11 Three-point Contest appearances, Smith has yet to receive an invite to the annual competition.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox