Big news for J.R. Smith and his family ... their micro-preemie baby Dakota is thiiiis close to crossing the 3-pound mark and her breathing tube is out!
As we previously reported, Smith's wife, Jewel, gave birth to "Kota Bear" in early January almost 5 months before her due date. Dakota only weighed 1 pound at birth.
But on the 78th day of Kota's NICU stay, Jewel says the nurse gave her the good news -- "She's not intubated anymore."
Jewel says she finally got to hold Kota without the nurses having to carefully secure the breathing tubes -- a sometimes lengthy and restrictive process.