J.R. Smith Eats Wings, Talks Hoops with Cleveland Cavaliers Fans

Cleveland has embraced J.R. Smith with open arms, welcoming the former New York Knicks guard and providing a safe, boring place for him to focus on his game.

Ever since his trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Smith has made strides toward improvement, developing into the role player and shooter we knew he could be.

Cavaliers fans love their new auxiliary scorer, two recently had the opportunity to sit down with Smith to talk hoops and eat chicken wings. 

Jim Mone/Associated Press

All Ball’s Lang Whitaker wrote on the dinner, which two diehard Cleveland supporters Melvin Gonzales Jr. and Brian Hallisy were invited to after winning a half-court chicken-throwing contest (best not ask) at Quicken Loans Arena. 

The conversation vacillated between hoops and everyday things. Smith ordered 13 wings and talked about beating the Cavaliers in their home opener when he was still a New York Knick. He said he knew Cleveland was too distracted at the time by the town’s carnival atmosphere to pull out the win.

“It was crazy. We knew we were going to win,” Smith said. “There was so much stuff going on.”

They ate, they talked golf trips, and Smith put a Twizzler in his mouth before posing for pictures. It was, by all reports, a quintessential trip to Cleveland's Quaker Steak & Lube.

NBA

Legendary.

Dan is on Twitter. Always order your wings by the baker’s dozen.