J.R. Smith Explains Throwing Soup at Damon Jones During Cavaliers Run in 2018

J.R. Smith is ready to talk about the soup incident.

The former NBA guard opened up on his 2018 suspension for throwing soup on then-Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones, saying it was a result of Jones "playing too much" when Smith was struggling on the floor.

"So, Damon Jones, he's my guy. ... But he has a knack of playing too much," Smith said on Old Man and the Three. "And, for me, don't get me wrong, I like to play a little joke here and there, but he's consistent with it. For me, if I'm telling you 'I'm not in the mood right now.' I had some stuff going on at home, I wasn't playing well. I'm like, 'Not right now.'

"Sure enough, I'm in the lunch room getting my soup, he comes in—mind you, the soup was hot, I'm like the first person in there—he's trying to make me spill it. I'm not gonna lie, it took me a second. I actually thought about it. It wasn't a rageful throw. It was like, OK you're playing with me, I know you're playing with me, I'm gonna show you. I literally thought about it, and I threw it on him. He's over there screaming because the s--t is hot. I'm like, 'See, you're gonna stop playing now with me now, right?'"

The Cavaliers suspended Smith for one game for the incident, which became the latest in long line of amusing stories that followed the veteran guard over the course of his career. Smith told Redick that Jones apologized the next day, acknowledging he instigated the situation.

Smith also once again confirmed it was chicken tortilla soup he threw at Jones, which he said disappointed him because it's one of his favorites.