J.R. Smith facing misdemeanor charge after allegedly breaking fan's phone
Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith is facing a misdemeanor charge after he allegedly broke a man’s phone last month who tried to take a video of him in the middle of the night in New York City.
Smith turned himself into police on Friday, and was released with a summons to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief.
According to the report, a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania saw Smith outside of a pizzeria in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City around 2:45 a.m. on July 29. When he recognized Smith, he tried to take a Snapchat video of him.
Smith then allegedly grabbed the phone away from him and threw it across 10th Avenue into a construction zone, shattering the screen. The man flagged down two police officers but by the time they started looking for him, Smith was already gone.
“This is nonsense and we are not responding to nonsense,” Smith’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, told the Associated Press.
Smith, who is entering his 15th year in the league, averaged 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game last season for the Cavaliers.
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