Politics
Two-Time NBA Champ Arrested On Shocking Charges
Former NBA star JR Smith was arrested in Texas on a family violence assault charge, according to jail records and police.
Smith, 41, is charged with ‘assault caused bodily injury family violence’ and remained in the Hunt County Detention Center following his arrest on a warrant issued out of Southlake.
Royse City police said the arrest happened Monday afternoon after officers received an alert that a wanted person was traveling eastbound on Interstate 30.
An officer spotted the vehicle, checked the license plate and conducted a traffic stop.
‘The wanted person was Earl Joseph [JR] Smith III and the charge was for Family Violence Assault Causing Bodily Injury,’ read Tuesday’s press release out of Royse City. ‘A traffic stop was conducted and the driver of the vehicle was identified as Earl Joseph Smith III. The warrant was confirmed and Mr. Smith was taken into custody.’
Smith was traveling with his brother at the time, according to police.
Authorities have not publicly released additional details about the alleged incident that led to the warrant.
The Southlake Police Department also issued a statement but did not provide further information about the underlying allegations.
Former NBA star J.R. Smith has been Arrested and Facing Domestic Violence Charges😡
The 41-year-old retired athlete was charged with assault causing bodily injury – family violence and is currently being held at the Hunt County Detention Center without bond.
Details of the… pic.twitter.com/H4KiEvLuuP
— American Crime Stories (@AmericanCrime01) September 29, 2026
Smith does not currently have an attorney listed on the Hunt County judicial website.
The arrest adds another chapter to the post-NBA life of one of the league’s most recognizable and unpredictable personalities.
Smith spent 16 seasons in the NBA and won two championships alongside LeBron James, first with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and later with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
After leaving professional basketball, Smith enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University and briefly competed as a college golfer.
He graduated last spring with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies.
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Smith also has a previous criminal history.
He was convicted of reckless driving following a car crash that killed a friend and later served 24 days in jail.
In 2018, he paid $600 after throwing a fan’s cellphone into a Manhattan construction site.
His playing career was also marked by repeated run-ins with coaches and the NBA.
Smith was fined twice for untying opponents’ shoes during games and was arrested in 2012 for failing to appear in court after being cited for operating a motor scooter without a valid license.
He also made headlines in 2018 after throwing a bowl of hot chicken tortilla soup at Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones.
Smith’s larger-than-life personality became part of his public image during Cleveland’s 2016 championship celebration, when he went shirtless for days after the Finals victory.
‘Tell JR Smith to put on a shirt, though,’ Obama told Lue. ‘He can’t just be walking around without a shirt for the [inaudible].’
On the court, Smith carved out a long and productive career as a scorer and perimeter shooter.
A former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, he averaged 12.4 points per game over his career while playing for the Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Cavaliers and Lakers.
He now faces a family violence assault charge in Texas as authorities continue to withhold details about the allegations behind the warrant.
