Larry Brown Sports

JR Smith responded to all the Rihanna gossip by posting a “Men in Black” meme to his Instagram account on Friday.

The meme shows Will Smith’s character in “Men in Black” holding up a neuralyzer, which is a tool he and Tommy Lee Jones’ character use in the movie series to erase the memory of subjects by flashing a light in their eyes.

Smith and Rihanna were rumored to be dating a year ago. The rumors flared up again last week after the two were photographed nearby each other at a club.

It’s not clear whether Smith meant he wanted to use a neuralyzer on Rihanna to erase her memory of their relationship, or on all the club-goers who have ratted him out for partying.

Rihanna responded to a fan on Thursday by saying Smith is performing poorly in the playoffs because he’s hungover from partying at clubs every night. Before the Knicks’ 85-75 Game 5 win over the Pacers, Smith dismissed the questions about Rihanna. He went 4-for-11 and had 13 points. He is shooting 29.3 percent for the series.

Chest bump to Beyond the Buzzer
Photo: Instagram/JR Smith

J.R. Smith has been shooting the ball terribly during the playoffs, and Rihanna says that’s because the New York Knicks guard is hungover from partying in clubs every night.

Smith shot the ball well in Games 2 and 3 of the Knicks-Boston Celtics series, which the Knicks won in six games. He went 13-of-27 (48 percent) including 4-9 (44 percent) on 3-pointers those two games. But after being suspended for Game 4 of the series for his elbow to Jason Terry in Game 3, Smith began shooting terribly.

Smith has shot an abysmal 28.6 percent from the field since Game 5 against the Celtics. No surprise, New York has struggled accordingly and only gone 2-4 in those playoff games. Now Rihanna has an explanation for his struggles.

Smith and Rihanna were rumored to have been dating last year. The gossip about them picked up again last week after they were pictured partying at the same club. Rihanna also confirmed she broke up with Chris Brown.

The singer posted a photo to her popular Instagram account on Thursday and must have received a comment from a Knicks fan who goes by @peruvian_gawd on Instagram. She responded to him with the message below where she says Smith is screwing up because he’s hungover from partying at clubs every night:

Read The Rest of the Story…

As an MVP candidate and someone making $160 million playing in the city of Los Angeles, Matt Kemp must be accustomed to the celebrity lifestyle. Kemp is 27 years old and one of the brightest young stars in baseball. He has done fashion shoots for magazines and dated celebrities. If $160 million isn’t an indication that you’ve made it, being able to say you dated Rihanna certainly seals the deal. However, Kemp says that portion of his life was a stressful time.

“It was pretty much overwhelming,” Kemp told Yahoo! Sports (via The Oklahoman) when asked about his relationship with the five-time Grammy Award winner. “It’s not something I’m used to. I’m not used to going to a grocery store or to just somewhere simple and people following me around. It’s overwhelming.”

When Kemp goes out in public, rabid baseball fans probably run up to him asking for an autograph or a picture. When Rihanna goes out in public, almost everyone runs up to her asking for an autograph or a picture. Such is the life of athletes dating celebrities, and considering he was later linked to Eva Longoria it doesn’t sound like it’s a life that bothers Kemp all that much. Another interesting aside: Kemp likes to judge women by their shoes.

“I can tell that (women) know what they’re doing or they don’t know what they’re doing (by their shoes),” Kemp explained. “I’ve always liked shoes. I peep everybody’s shoes out to see what they’re rocking.”

Rihanna and Eva probably have some great footwear in their wardrobe, so I guess it makes sense. Any ladies who were hoping to date Matt Kemp that wear Chuck Taylor’s should probably reconsider.

We shared a report two weeks that said Knicks guard J.R. Smith and singer Rihanna were getting cozy together at a club, prompting speculation that the two were dating. Now we have a second report saying they’ve been seeing each other.

The New York Daily News says the two have been spending time together for weeks, and that they were hanging out in South Beach over the weekend.

Smith was arrested late last Thursday night in Miami Beach after a routine traffic stop that showed he had a warrant out for not addressing a past ticket. Maybe Rihanna was there to bail him out.

Chest bump I am a GM

Rihanna sure does love her athletes. The singer and actress reportedly was seen getting cozy with Knicks guard J.R. Smith at a club recently, sparking rumors that they may be dating.

“They were very flirty in the club all night and holding hands,” an eyewitness told In Touch. “She was sitting on his lap and was really into him.”

In Touch says they were together on May 6, which is the same day the Knicks won Game 4 of their first-round playoff series with the Heat — their only victory of the series. Either Rihanna was a pregame good luck charm, or Smith chose to celebrate the win with her.

The magazine also suggests Smith, who has sparked controversies in the past, has the type of edgy personality Rihanna likes.

“I definitely like high-risk guys,” Rihanna has said. “I don’t like cream puff, corny guys… the nice ones that won’t hurt you. I like the edge. That’s the thrill for me.”

We have no idea if the two are really dating or if they just got cozy together for one night, but we are guessing that whatever happened, Rihanna likely was paying.

H/T I am a GM