Social media has changed the way fans discuss basketball, with individual plays often becoming defining moments in a player's career.
Unfortunately, that can also lead to players being unfairly vilified, as fans repeatedly revisit a mistake without considering the bigger picture.
And there is no denying that few players have experienced that harsh reality more than two-time NBA champion, JR Smith .
His infamous decision to dribble away from the basket instead of attempting a shot or calling a timeout at the end of regulation in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals has been placed as a stain on his legacy.
In numerous theories discussed online, fans have argued that had Smith made a different decision, the Cleveland Cavaliers might have won the series opener and potentially changed the course of the series.
However, Gilbert Arenas and Iman Shumpert believe that the tendency to single out a player unfairly places too much blame on Smith.
Thus, on the most recent episode of the "Gils Arena Show", two former NBA players recently called out fans on social media for their tendency to make some individuals villains and conveniently overlook the shortcomings of others to satisfy certain narratives.
Before Smith's infamous moment, several other plays had already shaped the outcome of Game 1.
One of the most consequential came with just over 36 seconds remaining, when LeBron James appeared to have drawn a charge against Kevin Durant. After reviewing the play, the officials overturned the call and ruled it a blocking foul on James. Afterward, KD made both free throws to tie the game.
In King James' defense, replays clearly showed that he had positioned several feet outside the restricted area.
Then, George Hill had an opportunity to hand Cleveland the lead with practically little time left on the clock. With the Cavs trailing 107-106, Hill knocked the first and missed the second, which eventually led the ball into JR's hands.
What often gets overlooked, Gil argued, is that Smith had made a positive play by securing the rebound, and that if other Cavs had been more attentive, a timeout would have given them the chance to draw up a game-winning play.
That suggests that the entire Cavaliers team failed to react appropriately rather than Smith, who scored more points than all the Cavs starters combined in OT, alone being responsible.
"They want to villainize him for an offensive rebound? He did the positive, got the offensive rebound that nobody thought he was gonna get. It wasn't his responsibility to get an offensive rebound; it was everybody's," Arenas said on his show. "I watched it so many times. It was a hustle play… all concept of the game went out the window. LeBron didn't call a timeout; Ty Lue didn't call a timeout. Because nobody thought, If we get this…'"
Smith's blunder was undoubtedly memorable, but the Cavaliers' struggles extended beyond that one moment.
The performances of different starters in the games that followed also highlighted how difficult it was for Cleveland to consistently match Golden State.
In Game 3, for instance, Kevin Love and George Hill combined to shoot 8-of-19 from the field and committed six turnovers. Smith, meanwhile, knocked down a team-high three 3-pointers and recorded a game-high three steals.
Game 4 presented another difficult night for Cleveland.
With them needing almost perfect performance to extend the series, Love and Hill's struggles on the offensive end were evident. They shot a combined 5-of-20 from the field, and each ultimately finished with a team-worst -26 plus/minus rating.
Safe to say that those numbers do not erase Smith's mistake, but they illustrate why reducing that entire series to one possession oversimplifies what happened.
That is why Shumpert echoed Gil's argument, acknowledging that Smith's confidence had taken a hit, but he firmly insisted that anyone who watched the series closely would understand that his mistake was not the sole reason Cleveland lost.
"Everybody was disappointed, that ain't the reason they lost," Shumpert said. "If you watched the game, there's no way you thought that's the way they lost… That's the NBA Twitter world."
JR's decision will always remain one of the most infamous moments in Finals history; however, Arenas and Shump believe the lasting narrative has become disproportionate to what actually happened throughout that championship series.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
