North Jersey's J.R. Smith Helps Cavs Win Their First NBA Championship

NEWARK, N.J. — One of North Jersey’s own is an NBA champion.

J.R. Smith helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win the franchise’s first NBA championship Sunday night. He scored 12 points, pulled down four rebounds, and chased Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson — arguably the two best jump shooters on the planet now — all over the court.

But for Smith, a St. Benedict’s Prep alumnus, it was all about family Sunday night. Smith hugged his father as he walked off the dias in front of the media. Smith also played at Lakewood High School for a year.

Smith, a 12-year NBA journeyman and a Freehold native, got emotional talking about his father, Earl, after the Father’s Day championship win.

“My dad is easily my biggest inspiration to play this game. To hear people talk bad about me, it hurts me, because I know it hurts him, and that's not who I am. And I know he raised better, and I know I want to do better,” Smith said as he choked back tears, his voice cracking. “Everything I do is for my parents and my family. The cars is nice, the houses is nice, but none of this matters without them. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here. I don't know where I would be."

Smith is one of six siblings. He has three brothers and two sisters and is a father of two daughters. He spoke highly of the way his parents raised him.

“They didn't treat any of us different. They loved us the same. They treated us all the same, and I just want to be like them when I grow up,” Smith said. “Everything I do is for my parents and my family. The cars is nice, the houses is nice, but none of this matters without them. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here. I don't know where I would be.”

Smith was considered by many experts to be a me-first shooter before he joined the Cavs via a trade from the New York Knicks during the 2014-15 season.

"Just understand what J.R.'s been through and people just saying that there's no way he can be a winner," LeBron James told reporters after the Cavs won Sunday. "When our GM came to us last year and said, 'Hey, we've got a deal to get Timofey Mozgov and get Iman Shumpert, and the Knicks are going to throw in J.R.,' I was like, what? They're going to throw in J.R. into the deal? And I was like, 'Okay, I've got him. I got him.' "And J.R. turned himself into not only a huge boost to our team, but he turned himself into a two-way player, both sides of the floor."

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PHOTOS:

J.R. Smith was in tears at the post-game press conference Sunday night.

Smith's father, Earl, watches his son talk about growing up and the influence his parents have had on him.

Smith and his father hug after Smith walks off the dias.