Sports

The NBA Is Auctioning JR Smith’s Game 1 Finals Jersey

William Boyd Contributor
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The NBA is currently auctioning off the game-worn jersey for Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith from Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

In that game, J.R. rebounded the ball with five seconds left in a tie basketball game, and ran it out to the three-point arch, leaving no time to put up a game-winning shot in regulation. The game went to overtime, where the Cavaliers eventually lost to the Golden State Warriors. J.R. received endless backlash for this blunder, which appeared to destroy the confidence of the team in the series. The jersey went on sale Sunday night at 11 p.m., and is already up to $10,189.69. The auction will continue until Thursday.

The Cavs were swept by the Warriors after a fairly uncompetitive series. In Game 1, J.R. scored 10 points and played 38 minutes. He went on to average 9.5 points per game in those finals, starting all four games for the Cavaliers.

This website auctions off many NBA game worn jerseys, and the next closest to J.R.’s jersey on the Cavs for Game 1 is Kevin Love and Rodney Hood, both around $1,000. LeBron James’s jersey is being auctioned for more than $90,000.

The best part of all of this is that J.R.’s jersey is being sold for more than Thompson ($5,060) and Draymond Green ($2,526) COMBINED. Both players averaged more than J.R. Smith in the finals and were on the championship winning team. Fans just really want that “history” of J.R. making that horrendous play.

To make matters worse for J.R., the NBA had to probably ask him or the Cavaliers organization for that jersey. At that point, it is just salt in the wound. I understand that the NBA wants to make money, but this is adding insult to injury. If I am a Cavalier fan, I want to forget about that game as quickly as possible. As an NBA fan, I find this hilarious. The NBA is known for being the most tuned-in league with the community and their players. The NBA does not mean for this to be savage, but with the price as high as it is now, it will be viewed as such. The fans can now have a part of the pantheon of truly atrocious sports plays in history.