Landing with Lakers helps Smith overcome ‘depressed state’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — JR Smith was not ready to wrap up his 15-year NBA career when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers in late 2018, and the ensuing 20 months were not much fun for the veteran shooter.

“I went through a very depressed state for a long time,” Smith said Monday. “I’m a big video gamer, (but) I didn’t even play (NBA) 2K anymore. I don’t want to hoop, I don’t want to work out, I don’t want to play 2K, I don’t want do anything with basketball.”

Thanks to a call from the Los Angeles Lakers, Smith is getting another shot on basketball’s biggest stage. He joined the Western Conference leaders for workouts last week before they head to Florida for the conclusion of the NBA season.

The 34-year-old Smith was added to the roster because Lakers starter Avery Bradley declined to return for the rest of the season, citing family concerns. The Lakers needed a depth replacement who could immediately fit in alongside LeBron James while playing solid wing defense, providing a 3-point threat and meshing quickly as a teammate.

Nobody in recent NBA history fits that job description more perfectly than Smith, who reached four NBA Finals and won the 2016 title while playing alongside James in Cleveland. Known for his ebullient behavior on and off the court, Smith was overjoyed to get back in the show.

“I was gone for a while,” Smith said. “Being somebody who has been around the league predominantly for most of their adult life, when that’s taken away from you, it kind of gives you that culture shock. You obviously don’t understand what you’ve lost until it’s gone.”