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J.R. Smith reveals the one teammate he didn't like in his 16 years in the NBA

Los Angeles Lakers guard J.R. Smith has been in the NBA for quite some time. He’s played in the league for 16 seasons, spending time with five different teams. Over that period, Smith has played with plenty of teammates, but there was only one he didn’t like.

That would be Smith’s former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Sam Dekker, Smith revealed on the “All Things Covered” podcast. Why was Dekker the only teammate who rubbed Smith the wrong way? Smith said it was because Dekker was “talking some Trump s---” on the team bus one day.

Smith said he wasn’t on board with Dekker’s comments.

“Throughout my career, there’s only one teammate I really don’t like,” Smith said. “He knows that. Everybody else, I’ve been cool with.”

Smith was then asked who he was talking about.

“This dude Sam Dekker,” Smith said. “He did some bulls--- on the bus one day, talking some Trump s--- and I just wasn’t having it.”

Smith didn’t go into detail about what Dekker said. Smith ended the conversation by saying he didn’t “respect anything about” the way Dekker carried himself.

J.R. Smith accused Sam Dekker of using racial slur

The situation escalated from there as Dekker’s wife, Olivia Harlan Dekker, said Smith’s comments were “inaccurate and unfair.”

Smith responded by asking Dekker why her husband can’t use the n-word. Dekker said she’s never heard her husband say that word. She also said her husband wasn’t a supporter of President Donald Trump. Smith clarified he never said Dekker “used” that word, but asked Olivia Dekker to tell Sam Dekker why he’s not allowed to use that word.

That’s a confusing back-and-forth. It’s possible Smith doesn’t want to completely air out old teammate grievances in a public setting.

J.R. Smith and Sam Dekker weren’t teammates for long

Smith didn’t have to spend that much time around Dekker. The two overlapped on the 2018-19 Cavaliers for just a few weeks. Both players started the year with the team, but Dekker was traded to the Washington Wizards in December. He hasn’t played in the NBA since then.

Smith, meanwhile, is celebrating another NBA Finals victory. After going 19-63 with the Cavaliers last season, Smith joined the Lakers, went 52-19 in the regular season and rode that momentum to a championship.

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