Some relationships in sports will surprise you. Not the flashy moments or buzzer beaters, but the ones built in the quiet locker room corners… away from the cameras. You expect certain tensions to leave permanent cracks. But now and then, a bond holds up, even when things looked like they should’ve snapped. This happened when J.R. Smith revealed his time with the Knicks. Despite the chaos and criticism that surrounded the team, Smith pointed to unexpected camaraderie as a saving grace. One connection in particular—his relationship with Mike Woodson—stood out for reasons unorthodox.
You know how rocky things got during their time with the New York Knicks when J.R. Smith and Mike Woodson were around. The shouting matches, the benching, the headlines – none of it screamed “lifelong friendship.” And yet, here we are, years later, with Smith talking about still being in touch with the man who once benched him for being late.
Smith spoke with genuine warmth as he recalled how Woodson still calls to check on him and invites him to play golf in the Hamptons. “When I tell you I still got a relationship with Woody to this day… we got a great relationship,” Smith said on 7PM in Brooklyn, a podcast hosted by Carmelo Anthony and Kid Mero. That’s not something you’d expect between a former coach and player who had very public fallouts. So what kept this connection alive?
“It was accountability, man,” Smith said. “He holds you accountable and he don’t care where you stand.” He even described Woody as having “big unk energy,” saying, “He like your uncle, like your OG… you know he doing it from the kindness of his heart.” And that’s the thing, despite the shouting, despite the heated sideline moments… Smith always knew Woodson cared.
“Come here man, what you say?” Smith mimicked Woody’s confrontational but caring tone. “Like, he get up like he want smoke… but he like that.” That tension, oddly enough, built trust. It wasn’t about power, it was about care and consistency. “If I got to stop talking to you, then you got real problem,” Smith added, implying that as long as Woody was still pushing him, he knew it came from a good place.
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But let’s not forget, it was rocky. At one point, it looked like their relationship might completely fall apart. Remember the time Smith was benched after playing just 45 seconds in overtime against the Suns? According to ESPN New York, that came after a heated exchange with Woodson and a missed team meeting the next day. The benching against Charlotte that followed wasn’t just about being late, it was mixed with frustration over playing time and mounting off-court antics.
J.R. Smith and Woody beyond the admiration lens
The tension between Mike Woodson and J.R. Smith was no secret. Things started to go south when Smith pulled one of his infamous moves – untying his’ shoelaces on the free throw line. The NBA hit him with a $50,000 fine, and Woodson didn’t hold back either. “He needed to grow up and act professional,” Woodson told the media. After the match, there was a heated argument between the two.
That was just the beginning. During the game against the Suns, Smith barely played in overtime. He was given only 45 seconds that night. He was frustrated and let Woodson know right after the game. Reports said they had a heated talk, and the energy carried over into the next few days. Smith was late to a team meeting another Tuesday. That’s when Woodson responded by benching him against the Bobcats that night. “For that to be the trigger point and for all this to happen is ridiculous,” Smith said later. He believed the punishment didn’t fit the crime.
Behind the scenes, things were just as tense. The Knicks’ front office began exploring trade options for Smith even though he had just signed a new contract. Woodson still showed support, saying, “J.R.’s wearing a Knick uniform… I’ve been one of his biggest supporters.” But even with those words, it was clear the trust had taken a hit.
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