J.R. Smith is a guy who likes to hit the clubs. He's not doing much of it these days, seeing as how he's now stuck playing in a place that is nothing like New York City. But during his time with the Knicks, Smith was often spotted out at clubs. A lot.
With that in mind, he was asked about the idea of NBA players clubbing earlier today, in light of what happened to Pacers forward Chris Copeland this week. And Smith shared some advice for players who like to party.
"For me, I feel like a target every time," he said. "So I try to handle myself with care when I'm out and about. It's one of those situations when you're out at 4 in the morning—I'm not saying it's [Copeland's] fault by any means—but when you're out at 4 in the morning, there's no way you should be walking anywhere. Get in your car and go home or go wherever you're going. That's one of my cardinal rules. You don't just stand outside of the events like that. You just get in and go and keep it moving."
Smith also said that it's not uncommon for NBA players to be out late like Copeland was. And he didn't sound surprised to hear that Hawks players Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha—who had played a game in Atlanta on Tuesday night before flying to NYC and hitting the town early Wednesday morning—were out late, either.
"We fly in all the time, so then we go out [late]," he said. "Guys like to have a good time. Just like the average college student. It just so happens that we got a lot of money, we're young and famous, and people want to see us and we like to be seen. It just comes with the territory."
So there you go. J.R. Smith, the NBA's resident Club God, has spoken and he wants everyone to be careful out there. Listen to him, NBA players!
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[via ESPN]
