OAKLAND — J.R. Smith and LeBron James have been friends since high school, there may not be a player in the league that knows LeBron and his game better. Smith has won a ring with the man. With all that time has come some great insight into the joys and the challenges of playing with LeBron. “It’s a lot of pressure,” Smith said of being on LeBron’s team. “Not for myself or my teammates, but just playing on his team. It’s almost… it’s a blessing and — it’s a gift and a curse. You play on his team, and you’re playing with the best player in the world and you get to witness some great historic things and be a part of it. “Then, on the other side, if you don’t help that person win, they’re looking at you, too. So it’s a lot of pressure, depending on how you look at it.” Of course, Smith has his own way of looking at it. “I tell him all the time he has the opportunity to play with me as well,” Smith said. Smith is going to feel that pressure of playing with LeBron in Game 2 Sunday — Smith was 3-of-10 shooting in Game 1, then had the game (and potentially series) changing blunder at the end. Smith said he’s moved on. The Cavaliers need him to have a short memory and be good J.R. if they are going to even the series.<doc-sep>“You lose a game and you feel like the world is coming down. You win, it’s like, you’re supposed to win. It’s still a struggle to me to adapt to that. … I was playing at such a high clip when I got traded [from Utah] and then this is my first time having DNPs [did not play] in life. The first time shooting two times or five times in a game. Having to adjust is the toughest part. It’s a part of my growth. I’m not going to always be in this state.”<doc-sep>Thursday night's opener of the 2018 NBA Finals featured one of the more perplexing plays in finals history when, with the game tied and a few seconds remaining, Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith grabbed an offensive rebound and then appeared to forget the score. The brain lapse resulted in a lot of hilarious memes and also a very angry LeBron James. The Cavs lost to the Golden State Warriors 124-114 in overtime. The two addressed the media prior to Sunday night's game Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Warriors. "I can't say I was sure of anything at that point," Smith said of the incident. When a reporter asked Smith about a video that appeared to show Smith saying "I thought we were ahead" he told reporters Saturday, according to USA Today, "I might have said that. Not sure, but I might have." James showed no ill feelings toward his teammate Saturday, saying Smith will be ready for Game 2 against Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and the Warriors. "I think J.R. is one of the most resilient guys I've ever been around," James said. "I think it just comes from not only him personally but his household... He probably took that loss as hard as anybody on the team." "But one thing about J.R., he has an uncanny ability to bounce back," James continued. "I think people have seen that throughout our postseason runs. For me, I don't think I need to say anything to J.R... J.R. knows what I expect out of him." For those experts out there, best not to bet against James and the Cavs in games after a loss. According to ESPN, James has been a monster statistically this year after losing a postseason game. The Cavs are 5-1 in those games and James is averaging 39.7 points, 8.7 assists and 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor. Official betting odds for Sunday's game, despite the numbers above, have the Warriors with a huge edge over the Cavs (-12). The game between the Cavs and Warriors is on Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. For those wanting to stream Game 2 of the NBA Finals, you use the WatchESPN app on your smart TV devices, as well as the ABC app.<doc-sep>Oh no, J.R. Smith, baby...what is you doing? Smith opened himself to being roasted by the entire internet on Thursday night when he somehow forgot the score in the final seconds of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. With the game tied, the Cavs had a chance to pull a shocking upset of the Warriors in Golden State, but Smith dribbled out the clock. As you would imagine, this didn't exactly sit well with his Cleveland teammates -- especially LeBron James, who dropped 51 points in the eventual overtime loss. LeBron was clearly frustrated with Smith's lack of awareness and cameras caught him chastising him after the final buzzer. After the game, that image of an exasperated LeBron quickly became the night's hottest meme, and Twitter came up with some legitimate gems in the wake of the chaos. The series opener devolved into madness down the final stretch -- including some chippy exchanges -- and there will be plenty of scores to settle in Game 2. Let's just hope J.R. remembers some of them.<doc-sep>
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Even before his Game 1 blunder that has captivated the basketball world for the past two days, Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith was known as quite a character. Whether negative, positive or just plain weird, Smith certainly stays in the headlines due to his behavior both on and off the court. On Saturday, leading up to Sunday's Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Warriors, a reporter asked Smith how much pressure he and his teammates feel playing alongside LeBron James, one of the greatest of all time. Smith's answer was poignant and honest, but he had to throw in a little J.R. flair at the end. "It's a lot of pressure. Not for myself or my teammates, but just playing on his team," Smith said. "It's almost -- it's a blessing and -- it's a gift and a curse. You play on his team, and you're playing with the best player in the world and you get to witness some great historic things and be a part of it. Then, on the other side, if you don't help that person win, they're looking at you too. "So it's a lot of pressure, depending on how you look at it. But I tell him all the time he has the opportunity to play with me as well." Game. Set. Match. Mr. Smith. Clearly being a little tongue-in-cheek, Smith delivered the type of line we've come to expect from a player who, over the course of his career, has consistently exhibited confidence perhaps far beyond his talent level. For better or worse, that confidence has gotten him to where he is today -- with a chance to earn a second NBA title in four years as one of the main characters in The LeBron Show.