- Former
Cleveland Cavaliers starJ.R. Smith was caught on camera assaulting a man who he claims damaged his car duringriots inLos Angeles related toGeorge Floyd 's death. - After the altercation, Smith recorded a separate video in which he denied that race played a role in the fight despite the fact that the looter was white.
- "I chased him down and whupped his ass," Smith said. "This ain't no hate crime. I ain't got no problem with nobody who ain't got no problem with me. It's a problem with the motherf---ing system."
Former
The shooting guard — who most recently played for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season — was caught on camera assaulting a man in Los Angeles. Smith claims the man smashed the window of his car during riots erupting from the death of George Floyd.
Floyd died on Monday night after former police officer Derek Chauvin — a white man — knelt on his neck for several minutes as Floyd pleaded for his life. Since Floyd's death, protests against police brutality have taken place in cities across the United States.
But in a separate video he recorded after the fight, Smith was quick to note that he lives in "a residential area" nowhere near the riots in downtown LA. Smith said the looter was "one of these m------------ white boys" and that he "didn't know where he was going and broke my f------ window in my truck," prompting the 6-foot-6, 225-pound free agent to retaliate.
"I chased him down and whupped his ass," Smith said.
In the video of the fight, which was first released by TMZ Sports, Smith can be seen kicking the man while he lays on the ground. Once he scrambles to his feet, Smith punches him over the head with his right fist.
—NBA Quick Report™ (@NBAquickreport) May 31, 2020
Even though the man in question was white, Smith insisted after the fact that race did not play a role in his decision to pursue the alleged looter.
"This ain't no hate crime," Smith said. "I ain't got no problem with nobody who ain't got no problem with me. It's a problem with the motherf---ing system. That's it."
Check out Smith's full comments on the run-in below:
—Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 31, 2020
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