The NBA is full of stars, memes of its stars, and many teams have developed cult heroes. For the Cleveland Cavaliers fan base in recent seasons have developed that kind of cult worship for J.R. Smith (and one could say about other fan bases before that even when he was on other teams). Smith again will likely be one of Cleveland fans’ favorite Cavaliers, and going into Media Day (which is tomorrow), he’s just one of a number of personalities fans will greatly enjoy this season.
“Shirtless J.R.” has taken a life of its own here in Cleveland, and for good reason, as Smith’s shirt was off after the Cavs won the NBA title in 2016 for a very long length of time (in public) and was famously off during the championship parade.