Celtics champ alum Ray Allen credited by JR Smith with changing his life via golf

‘I’ve never had a person … in a day or two change how I think and how I look at my own self-worth,’ said Smith.

Long opponents on the basketball court, an encounter over a game of golf with Boston Celtics Hall of Fame sharpshooter Ray Allen reportedly changed the life of fellow two-time NBA champion JR Smith. In a recent interview with Complex’s Pierce Simpson, Smith credited Allen with helping him begin a new chapter of his life with a fresh perspective on his own self-worth.

Smith’s exit from the league came hard and fast after a blunder helped contribute to a 2018 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, and clashing with the Cleveland Cavaliers the following season after a rebuild began with the exit of LeBron James. While he’d link up with James for one more postseason stint with James in 2020, it would mark the end of his career in the league.

While going out winning a title might seem like an ideal retirement for some, Smith didn’t feel he was done, even suggesting he is being blackballed by the NBA for his inability to find a new home in the league.