Let’s be honest—there are a lot of ways to mess with an NBA star when his back is against the wall. No rings, facing elimination, and trying to stay locked in? That’s not the time you’d expect anyone to pull a stunt. Yet JR Smith—true to form—decided to crash Jalen Brunson’s postgame interview anyway. Luckily, he picked a win, not a loss, to pull it off.
New York had just staved off elimination with a 111-94 win over Indiana in Game 5. The victory at Madison Square Garden cut Indiana’s series lead to 3-2 and kept the Knicks very much alive as the Eastern Conference Finals shift back to Indiana for Game 6. But forget the score for a second—what had fans buzzing wasn’t just the win. But the real buzz came on live TV seconds later.
A clip shared by @NBAMemes on X quickly went viral. Smith, flashing his Cavaliers (2016) and Lakers (2020) rings, gently rubbed them across Brunson’s shoulder mid-answer. That move drew mixed reactions online, and even ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt couldn’t resist commenting. “Who’s mo—-ing your shoulder… Tell J.R. Van Pelt said leave you alone,” Van Pelt said, clearly amused, but also drawing a boundary in his own way.
JR Smith casually wearing both his Cavs and Lakers rings while photobombing Brunson’s interview
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) May 30, 2025
Now, before anyone thinks JR was throwing shade, let’s be clear—it was all in good fun. JR has always brought a big personality and energy wherever he goes. Knicks faithful still recall his Sixth Man of the Year run in 2013—and his clutch moments in the 2012 playoffs. No wonder his emotional connection to the team runs deep.
So, when he was traded in 2015, it wasn’t just business—it hit home. As he once shared on Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn, “I ain’t gon’ lie, bro, I cried. I was working out, getting ready for the game, and I came back to the locker room. Steve Mills pulled me aside and he’s like, ‘Yeah, man, we just traded you and Shump to Cleveland.’” No surprise Smith felt that Game 5’s weight, he knows Madison Square Garden’s stakes better than most. Rings or not, he knows exactly what moments like that mean in New York. No wonder some are viewing the whole rub on shoulder thing in a different light.
Did JR Smith give his blessings to Jalen Brunson?
When you read comments like “I woulda slapped him if he did that to me,” in response to Smith’s shoulder rub on Brunson, you don’t waste much time in siding with a majority opinion. So did a lot of fans on the clip making the rounds on social media platforms. But then comes a report from Clutchpoints, highlighting a different perspective of the story.
The news outlet shared the same clip, but posted from the X account of @TheStrickland. The article reported that Smith is seen rubbing his two NBA championship rings on Jalen Brunson’s shoulder, claiming the following. “You got ring fever now.”
Clutchpoints claims the gesture wasn’t just playful, but symbolic. As per the report, JR Smith, a former Knicks guard and champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020), offered a moment of motivation to Brunson, who has been nothing short of phenomenal this postseason.
Well, this could very well be the case. Now, with Game 6 on the horizon, Brunson’s encounter with Smith adds another layer to the Knicks’ narrative. It’s a reminder that legacies are built in moments like these. One more win, and New York forces Game 7 in the Garden.
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