J.R. Smith Compares Himself to a Dolphin: 'That's All People Need to Know'

Free-agent shooting guard J.R. Smith describes himself as a dolphin.

Yes, a dolphin.

Here’s what the 2016 NBA champion told Charles Bethea of the New Yorker:

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"The dolphin is my favorite animal. It’s graceful. When it jumps out of the water, it’s one of the most peaceful things you can see. Especially when the sun is hitting off the water. There’s something just so calm and peaceful about it. At the same time, if it goes down, a dolphin is like, O.K., let’s go. ... I’m a dolphin. That’s all people need to know."

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Smith makes a valid argument. And it’s not the first time he’s been likened to the marine mammal, either.

In August, LeBron James described the 31-year-old as a dolphin while offering a different (but equally reasonable) explanation on the Open Run podcast (h/t SLAM):

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"I don’t know man, JR is like a dolphin, man…You know why? I watch a lot of these… what is it called, Open Water? Or National Geographic, and dolphins like, they’re really killers. Sharks are afraid of them. But, they gotta have a group around them to become the best of their ability… And incredibly smart.”

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The man-dolphin remains a free agent, and ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported Friday that it’s "only a matter of time" before Smith starts entertaining teams outside of Cleveland.       

[h/t New Yorker]