Getty JR Smith, Lakers
The Lakers held their official NBA championship ring ceremony on Tuesday night, but they have been busy doling out the rest of the jewelry to contributors who are no longer with the team. Two little-used signees from last season, J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters, received their rings according to posts on social media.
Former team president Magic Johnson, who helped build the roster, got one as well. (H/T to Harrison Feigen of Silverscreenandroll.com.)
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Waiters posted a video of him opening the ring box, with the caption, “Wowwwwwwwwww since 7 i dreamed of this.”
Smith posted a photo on Instagram of his father, Earl Smith Jr., wearing both the Lakers ring and the 2016 championship ring he won with the Cavaliers. “Got the Game from him so i brought the RINGS back to HIM!” Smith posted.
Troy Daniels, who was a member of the Lakers until the team cut him in February, replied with fire emojis on Smith’s post, but Daniels has not yet indicated whether he has received a ring from the team yet.
Magic Johnson ‘Blessed to Receive’ a Championship Ring
Johnson’s post, on Twitter, was gracious toward the team and owner Jeanie Buss, as he wrote that he and his wife, Cookie, “are so blessed to receive our championship rings! Thank you to Laker owner @JeanieBuss, the Laker players and especially @KingJames because he told me he was going to bring a championship to Laker Nation.”
Johnson was running the Lakers in June of 2018 when the team was able to lure James as a free agent. Johnson was a key factor in James’ decision to join the team, but 10 months later, Johnson resigned amid speculation that he was being undermined by general manager Rob Pelinka. The situation was messy and the disagreements became public.
Johnson confirmed that later, saying on ESPN, “I start hearing, ‘Magic, you’re not working enough. Magic’s not in the office.’ People around the Laker office were telling me Rob was saying things, Rob Pelinka, and I didn’t like those things being said behind my back.”
Johnson, though, has said that he has held no grudges and, “that stuff was in the past.” He said that he and Pelinka still talk about the construction of the roster.
Dion Waiters, J.R. Smith Did Not Contribute Much to Lakers Run
Smith and Waiters got rings despite not contributing much during the team’s championship run.
Waiters signed in March but did not play until after the NBA returned from its coronavirus hiatus, in the Orlando bubble. Waiters averaged 11.9 points in seven regular-season games but struggled with his shooting, making 42.5% of his field-goal tries and only 25.5% of his 3s.
He made only five appearances in the playoffs, scoring just 10 points in 38 total minutes.
Smith had similarly minimal impact, scoring just 2.8 points in six games with the Lakers. Brought in as a 3-point marksman, Smith was just 1-for-11 shooting from the arc in the regular season. In the playoffs, he scored 20 points in 10 games, making six of the 22 3-pointers he attempted.
Still, he had fun.
Lakers communications manager JR Smith had the IG Live ready. #NBAFinals
Neither Smith nor Waiters have re-signed with any NBA team. Daniels has also yet to find a roster spot.
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