Although LeBron James intense competitive nature is nothing new, it also indicates that he hasn’t forgotten the costly mistake he made with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Finals. He even seemed to have resentment toward former teammate J.R. Smith as a result of the incident.
LeBron James Is Still Affected by J.R. Smith’s Well-Known Finals Error
In Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, the score was tied at 107-107 with seconds left in regulation. The ball bounced off the hoop after then-Cavaliers star George Hill stepped to the free-throw line and missed his second attempt.
The Cavaliers’ bad luck began with the loss in Game 1, as they were subsequently swept 4-0. During a recent appearance on “The Pivot Podcast,” Smith discussed the notorious incident and disclosed that James has yet to fully move on.
Smith stated:
“We never talked about it,” “He’s still mad. He’s so mad. Still mad.”
“It means the world because I mean, arguably the best player ever… and for him to say that about me, I think it speaks volumes to the level of player that I am”. “And not only that, knowing him, knowing me as a person.
“It’s one thing for somebody to, you know, give you credit for your athletic ability… but when they talk about you as a person and talk about like, ‘Yo, nah, he cool, like that’s my man, we straight’, that right there means way more to me than somebody vouches for me as an athlete.”
JR Smith breaks down his infamous Game 1 lapse, says he and LeBron still haven’t talked about it
“He’s still mad.” 💀
(via @thepivot, h/t @2Cool2Blog) pic.twitter.com/mQOE8CnOcd
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 17, 2026
Throughout their careers, Smith and James remained close despite the residual resentment about that particular play. They shared NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and Cleveland in 2016.
Smith was out of the league for a while when James left for the Lakers in 2018. Smith was signed by the Lakers in 2020 when James once more supported him when the 2019–20 season restarted in the Orlando bubble after the COVID-19 halt.
