J.R. Smith was discussing his NBA career with police in Texas when one officer blamed LeBron James for the 2025 trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, shortly before Smith was arrested over an active warrant.
Royse City police stopped Smith on a Texas road on September 28 while checking whether a warrant had been issued for him. During the interaction, the former NBA player told officers he had retired in 2020 and described his time with teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers.
When asked whether he had won any championship rings, Smith said he had two. An officer then asked whether one had come with Kyrie Irving, prompting Smith to clarify that his titles were won with “Kyrie and LeBron”.
The conversation turned to the trade involving Doncic, who moved to the Lakers in 2025. One officer, who appeared to support the Dallas Mavericks, referred to James as “He who shall not be named”.
When Smith asked whether the officer was not a fan of James, the officer replied: “He stole Luka from us. That was all him.” Another officer said nobody was happy with the deal, while the first indicated that the matter remained a sore point a year later.
J.R. Smith arrested after police check warrant
The basketball discussion ended when officers confirmed that Smith had an active warrant and took him into custody.
The warrant related to a charge of assault causing bodily injury involving family violence, stemming from an alleged incident in Tarrant County on September 18. Smith was released shortly afterwards.
He is due back in court next month.
