“Was smoking weed when we practiced them” – JR Smith gets BLASTED by former Nuggets HC for unbelievable accusation

Unexpected beef has taken over the internet as a former coach and student in George Karl and JR Smith face off against each other.

“Was smoking weed when we practiced them” – JR Smith gets BLASTED by former Nuggets HC for unbelievable accusation

George Karl and J.R. Smith (AP Photo)

JR Smith has reignited his long-running beef with his former Denver Nuggets Head Coach, George Karl. A feud that goes back to 2016 and even beyond seems to have rekindled once again. Karl coached Smith for six seasons, from 2006-2011, at the Denver Nuggets. Smith, as he now states, seems to have never been fond of Karl’s techniques.

It was made obvious when the former NBA player went on The Old Man and the Three podcast with JJ Redick. The episode aired on the 13th of April has now brought about new controversies. Smith had major accusations against George Karl and his strategies, which according to many, cost Nuggets a championship. He highlighted some issues from Karl’s game plan, which were outrageous.

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While speaking to Redick, JR Smith said, “Seriously, we didn’t have one out-of-bounds play my whole time playing for this man.” Smith also backed his claims up with facts as he said, “If you go back to [Game 3 of the 2009 Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers], we lose on three out-of-bounds plays. Trevor Ariza steals all of them and we lose.”

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Karl, who is known for being outspoken and someone who doesn’t mince words, fired shots at Smith. In response to Smith’s accusations, Karl put a tweet out, alleging the player was losing his memory due to marijuana usage. Karl tweeted, “I’m happy for @TheRealJRSmith these days with his education, golf etc. And he’s the second best athlete I coached after Shawn! Re out of bounds plays, I’m sure JR was smoking weed when we practiced them. But it’s 15 years ago so let’s just celebrate and move forward!”

Smith then went on to block Karl on Twitter, which was revealed when the latter posted a picture of the same. This will indirectly bring an end to the feud, as there’ll obviously be no direct communication between the parties.

Related: “This dude is nuts” – Former NBA champion JR Smith shares ANNOYING stories of Chris Paul’s ‘competitive’ rookie moments

JR Smith and George Karl, a history dating back to 2006

JR Smith at the Denver Nuggets while he was playing under George Karl.
JR Smith at the Denver Nuggets while he was playing under George Karl.

Even though Smith and Karl might be going back on forth currently, the duo had a great time while they worked alongside each other. Despite any lingering animosity between them in Denver, Smith thrived under Karl, delivering his best performances. During his 372 games with the Denver Nuggets, he averaged 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and an impressive 38.2% three-point shooting.

Even though Smith might not have won a championship under Karl, the head coach helped him mold into a solid player. Smith went on to win a championship with the Cavaliers in 2016 and then with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

Karl, in the past, had multiple comments to make about Smith. In his book, Karl didn’t mince words when describing Smith, referring to him as an “AAU baby” and labeling him as “entitled.” He further expressed his thoughts, noting the former player’s “huge sense of entitlement,” the presence of a distracting entourage, a constant focus on the next contract, and some incredibly questionable shot choices.

Though, in the end, Karl also said, “When we traded J.R. in 2011, I was disappointed that I hadn’t helped a clearly talented player advance his game more.”  This highlighted the soft spot he had for Smith, regardless of all that is happening currently.

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