J.R. Smith went off in Game 4 for the Nuggets draining 4 three-pointers including back-to-back threes that solidified the win with under two minutes to go. Already with a technical earlier in the game and one in Game 3 for taunting after making a three, Smith started acting out to celebrate his hot shooting streak. The result was the following video presented by Black Sports Online where it appears as if Smith may be flashing gang signs:
OK, so you’ve seen the video, now I leave it up to you: did he flash signs (perhaps a “b” for bloods) or the number three to indicate he just hit a three-pointer? After discussing it with a friend we both thought he was flashing something but several YouTube commenters disagree (maybe they’re just Nuggets homers). The reason why this is significant is because the League might actually want to take a look at the video and see if a fine is necessary. They docked Paul Pierce $25k last year for flashing “menacing” signs at Al Horford in the playoffs. Maybe this will be different because he was just celebrating, not acting out towards any particular individual.
For whatever it’s worth, even Smith acknowledges what a jackass he is:
“I would be upset,” Smith said. “I’m not going to lie. I would be upset if somebody is out there tearing us up and hitting threes and showboating. But at the same time, that’s the way we play. That’s the way the Denver Nuggets play. We play with emotion. We play with adrenaline. We’ve just got to make sure it’s positive emotion.”
Regardless of what kind of idiot Smith may be — and he certainly is one — there’s no denying the key role he plays for Denver. He’s the guy that can give them the big boost and put games out of reach if he’s on. If he’s not, Kobe can steal games in the fourth quarter for the Lakers. By the way, they finally gonna feed Pau the ball more or what?
