You'll forgive J.R. Smith for savoring his podium moment after the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA Finals on Tuesday.
He wasn't supposed to be here, and maybe photo documentation helps him cope with the surreality of the past few months. Either that, or Smith is just profoundly happy with the turn his career has taken.
The grin, memorialized on his Instagram account, would seem to indicate it's the latter:
Smith has all the reason in the world to smile.
He escaped a sinking ship via a midseason trade from the scuttled New York Knicks, where he was playing in games with few stakes and fewer quality teammates.