uring this weekend’s violent riots across the United States, and even the globe, NBA star J.R. Smith got in quite the altercation outside his Los Angeles mansion. J.R Smith, like any other person, is entitled to defend his property and that is exactly what he did here.
The video was recorded in J.R. Smith’s residential neighborhood, miles from the Los Angeles protests. The footage, first released by TMZ Sports, shows J.R. Smith kicking the man while he lays on the ground. Once he scrambles to his feet, Smith punches him over the head with his right fist.
Some were quick to point out a hate crime because the man was white, but Smith quickly denied the allegations.
“This ain’t no hate crime,” Smith said. “I ain’t got no problem with nobody who ain’t got no problem with me. It’s a problem with the motherf—ing system. That’s it.”
This morning J.R. Smith went on the Pat McAfee Show to clear the air.
“I hear four helicopters surrounding my house… and [the riot] is going on at the corner of my house. So I get out, walk down, protest with some of the people, hand out waters, and take pictures… So many people were unified. And then you see burning down cars and bro I’m not for this. This isn’t what it’s about.”
“If you want to peacefully protest, 100% we can do that. But once you get to vandalizing people’s personal property that has nothing to do with nothing, you don’t even know what you’re doing it for.”
“If he would have seen me or someone outside the car, do I think he would have broken it? Absolutely not. It was a random act on stupid-ness and I give him that. But that ass whooping was also a random act of stupid-ness on my behalf”.
George Floyd Riots in LA
Protesters hit the streets across Los Angeles and neighboring cities for a fifth day to express rage and mourning sparked by the killing of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd begged for mercy before becoming limp and unresponsive.
Stores were closed today in preparation for more unrest. Target said 19 of its stores in L.A. and Orange counties were closed Sunday after the company’s Beverly Grove shopping center location was looted Saturday.
In Long Beach, around 50 protesters faced off with a row of about 30 police officers clad in riot gear on Pine Ave. between 3rd St. and Broadway. People were ordered to disperse and warned that police could use force.
L.A. County implemented a 6 p.m. curfew for the entire county, which supersedes less stringent curfews set by individual cities and unincorporated areas. (The city of L.A. had previously set curfew within city limits for 8 p.m.)
