J. R. Smith
| Full Name : | Earl Smith, III |
| Public : | J. R. Smith |
| Nickname : | |
| Country : | United States (USA)  |
| DOB : | September 9, 1985 (Age 24) |
| Place : | Freehold Borough, New Jersey |
| Height : | 6' 6" |
| Weight : | 220 lbs. |
| Sport : | Basketball - NBA |
| Team : | Denver Nuggets |
| Level : | Professional |
| Status : | Good |
| Denver Nuggets |
| Shooting Guard |
| Jersey # 1 |
NBA Teams :
Denver Nuggets (2006 - present)
Chicago Bulls (2006) no game appearances
New Orleans Hornets (2004 - 2006)
High School : Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
Drafted : 18th in 2004 , New Orleans Hornets
Earl Smith III, known as J. R. Smith (born September 9, 1985, in Freehold, New Jersey) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.
High School
Before attending high school, Smith attended Millstone Middle School and graduated in 1999. Next he moved on to Steinert High School and McCorriston High School before transferring to Lakewood High School. He played high school basketball for the first time at Lakewood High School. He would later transfer to Saint Benedict's Preparatory School and play basketball there as well. He averaged over 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists during his career there. In the fall of 2003, Smith signed a letter of intent to play at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
NBA
In April 2004, Smith decided to forgo college and make himself eligible for the NBA Draft. He was selected eighteenth overall in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets-one of nine players who were drafted that year straight out of high school. In his rookie season, he averaged 10.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Smith participated in the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Competition in 2005, finishing behind Amare Stoudemire and the eventual winner, Josh Smith.
On July 12, 2006, the Hornets formally traded Smith and forward-center P.J. Brown to the Chicago Bulls for center Tyson Chandler. On July 19, 2006, Smith was traded again, this time to the Denver Nuggets for guard Howard Eisley and two 2007 second-round draft picks.
On December 16, 2006, Smith was involved in the Knicks-Nuggets brawl. He was suspended for 10 games.
On February 20, 2007, Smith injured his left knee which required knee surgery. He missed 3-4 weeks.
On October 13, 2007, Smith was involved in an incident at a Denver nightclub. The Nuggets suspended him for the first three regular season games of the NBA 2007-2008 season for his role in the incident.
On July 25, 2008, Smith was added to the Team USA Basketball select team to help the senior team prepare for the Olympics.
On February 10, 2009, Smith was chosen to replace the injured Rudy Gay in the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest.
On April 13, 2009, Smith scored a career-high 45 points on 13-of-22 shooting, as part of a 118-98 home win over the Sacramento Kings. He made a franchise-record 11 three-pointers during the game, which was one shy of tying the NBA record.
