J.R. Smith's Chinese Team Says He Skipped Nearly Every Single Practice
J.R. Smith couldn't get out of his CBA contract when the NBA lockout ended, but he sure as hell could make life as miserable as possible for his employers. Smith's sister sparked a pair of brawls with opposing fans (Stephanie Smith said of the second fight that she didn't start it "this time.") And according to the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, who withheld more than a million dollars from his salary, Smith didn't bother coming to practice.
According to the team, which only paid him $1.82 million of his $2.88 million contract, Smith missed 80 practices over four months, often flying to Beijing, Shanghai or the U.K. without giving Zhejiang a heads up. The team also alleges it told him to send his sister home, because he missed most of those practices when she made him take her shopping.
Smith has filed a complaint to recoup that million, claiming he was at most practices, and had valid excuses for the ones he missed. The case will be heard by a FIBA arbitrator next month.
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