Former NBA Star Reveals He Cried After Cavs-Knicks Trade

In a recent interview with Carmelo Anthony's 7PM in Brooklyn , Smith revealed that he cried when he was traded from the New York Knicks to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Smith: "I ain't gonna lie bro, I cried... All I could really fathom at the time was it was over. Like, damn, this is my best friend... This was like a real live end to an era."

Smith had helped Anthony and the Knicks reach the second round of the 2013 NBA playoffs.

Via The New York Knicks (on April 22, 2020): "This Day in Knicks History: JR Smith became the third Knick in NBA history to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award."

While he was a fan-favorite in New York, Smith went on to win the 2016 NBA Championship with LeBron James and the Cavs.

They beat the Golden State Warriors to complete the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.

Smith was initially the 18th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft out of high school.

He played 16 years for the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers.

The 39-year-old had career averages of 12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 41.9% from the field and 37.3% from the three-point range in 977 games.