Sixth Man of the Day: Earl Smith III
It isn’t all that surprising for a famous person to change their name. Kareem Abdul Jabbar did it for religious reasons, World B. Free did it to enact social change, and Jennifer Anastassakis became Jennifer Aniston because, well, it makes her a hell of a lot hotter.
But Nuggets guard J.R. Smith’s decision to go by his given name, Earl Smith III, was made for entirely different reasons: to help people forget about the stupid shit he did as J.R. At 24, Smith’s already as familiar with the criminal justice system as a seasoned lawyer, and he just recently returned to the Nuggets after serving a seven-game suspension from the league — the third of his career.
Funny thing is, Smith is not the first “J.R.” to tackle such a name change. The talented but equally troubled J.R. Rider chose to go by his given name, Isaiah, after throwing a milkshake at a Jack in the Box drive-thru worker. Sadly, the name change didn’t work as Rider went on to spit at a fan and even kicked a woman at a sports bar while known as “Isaiah.”
Makes us wonder whether the name J.R. is simply cursed. At least they both could dunk…
Category: Basketball