J.R. Smith says he doesn’t drink Hennessy: ‘I hate that s—’

By Dan FeldmanApr 15, 2020, 7:52 PM EDT
J.R. Smith
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
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J.R. Smith has had a wild career.

He went shirtless. He untied shoes. He gave up a basket while hugging an opposing reserve. He refused to speak with the NBA about a tattoo dispute, summing up his feelings with: “I don’t talk to the police.” He ran out the clock in a tied NBA Finals game. He ordered thousands of dollars of unwanted room service while in China. He offered the pipe. He tweeted a photo of a scantily clad woman. He threw soup. He accused the Cavaliers of tanking.

Want to present him as a colorful figure? It doesn’t require much imagination.

But apparently the legend of J.R. Smith includes a tall tale.

Bleacher Report (warning: profanity):

Smith:

I don’t even drink Henny, bro. I don’t. I put some Jack in there, though.

It’s not my s—, bro.

I don’t like the way it tastes, bro.

I hate that s—, for real.

Nah, I never drank it before, though. Even before that. The funny thing is, the picture that everybody talks about of me drinking Henny, it’s a champagne bottle. So, I don’t even know how that even came about.

This isn’t the first time Smith has clarified his Hennessy stance. Maybe this explanation will actually gain traction.

So, how did the story of Smith loving Hennessy take off in the first place? Smith offered a compelling theory on a podcast with Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye: