Fanatics Fest 2025 had all your sports heroes, iconic WWE stars, and even your favorite influencers under one roof. Let’s not forget, Kevin Durant got to know his trade destination (Houston Rockets) live during his session at this event. Similarly, LeBron James made the most of the event by trolling the Knicks fans, since the event was in New York. But one of his former teammates, JR Smith, did receive more love than expected.
Before teaming up with LeBron in Cleveland, Smith spent 4 years in the Big Apple. There, he teamed with Carmelo Anthony and Iman Shumpert among others. But when the Knicks traded him to the Cavs, that move broke the 2x NBA champion. “I ain’t gonna lie bro, I cried… All I could really fathom at the time was it was over. Like, damn, this is my best friend… This was like a real live end to an era.” Smith felt emotional leaving his friend Melo.
Even though their time together did not bring a championship to the Knicks, the fans still love the 39-year-old. Since the Fanatics Fest 2025 was held in New York, where a meet and greet with your fellow celebrities was allowed. But for JR Smith, it was different; the fans gathered around him, not when he was at the table. But while he was walking.
He shared the update on his Instagram story to his 7.7 million followers. “Turned out, and there was another sea of people and mayhem.” For the 2x NBA champions’ safety, he was flanked by police officers, management staff from the event. Throughout this quick meeting, few people got their chance to get a photo with Smith.
That one time when JR Smith became a fan for a day to celebrate his friend and former teammate
Smith’s NBA journey spanned 16 years across five teams: the New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers. His career stats — 12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game across 977 appearances — don’t tell the full story. He shot 37.3% from deep and left an indelible mark as one of the league’s most fearless shooters and charismatic personalities. Before teaming up for the Knicks, JR Smith and Carmelo Anthony also played for the Nuggets. Plus, Melo is the number 1 teammate in terms of games played together on the court (531).
X (Twitter)
So, it’s obvious when it was time to celebrate Anthony’s event, Smith would be front and center. While Carmelo was not present courtside against the Pacers during Game 5 (ECF), former teammate and good friend JR Smith was. The Jumbotron captured Smith wearing Anthony’s #7 instead of his own #8 jersey to pay tribute to his friend on his birthday. He was also captured doing Melo’s iconic ‘three to the dome’ celebration.
Being a fan and portraying his love for Anthony is what Smith did. So, that’s why when the fans got the opportunity to meet one of the Knicks’ legends, they just gathered around, and soon the former star was swamped by many fans. Yet, there is no complaint from the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year.
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