J.R. Smith 's life changed on the afternoon of June 9, 2007, following a car accident in New Jersey. The collision did not just see Smith facing charges , but even worse, resulted in the death of his friend, Andre Bell.
The then-Denver Nuggets guard was driving his 2003 GMC Yukon XL along with Bell and another friend at the intersection of the Stagecoach Road and Burnt Tavern Road when the accident happened. According to police reports, the NBA star was speeding and didn't stop at a stop sign.
Smith's SUV crashed with a Jaguar, leaving him bruised and wounded. However, J.R.'s injuries were minor and pale in comparison to Bell's. In contrast, Bell suffered severe head trauma and remained in critical condition before passing away two days later.
An investigation ensued, but the main focus was on Smith's history of reckless driving. The investigation lasted nearly two years.
It was revealed during the case that Smith had a chequered driving history, including several speeding tickets and license suspensions before the fatal accident. The high-flying scorer was sentenced to 90 days in jail, though Municipal Judge Debra J. Gelson suspended 60 days of the term provided Smith completed 500 hours of community service.
"There has to be deterrence," Gelson pointed out at the time. "Young people look up to Mr. Smith; he's a role model. What would that say to them? That's it's OK to speed?"
"He's 23 years old; he's a tough kid and he's going to do these four weeks and come out a better person," said Kevin Hextall, an attorney representing Smith.
As he internalized what lay ahead, Smith was filled with nothing but regret and sadness.
"It's been unbearable to deal with," Smith said to the court. "I am deeply sorry. I never intended for this to happen. It tears me up that it went down like that."
In June 2009, Smith pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, specifically a second-degree charge of death by auto. He spent 24 days in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
As for the NBA, the league suspended Smith for seven games at the start of the 2009-10 season following his release from jail.
Even though Smith was jailed for only a relatively short period of time, the pain he felt inside is long-lasting. In fact, even to this day, "Swish" is still hurting.
In a candid reflection during a 2019 podcast appearance, Smith opened up about how difficult it was to be in prison, with no one even bothering to check in on him or see how he had been holding up.
"I got millions of dollars for a month and I couldn't do anything with it," Smith said on All The Smoke. "I'm reaching out to people, I'm calling my NBA boys, all these you know, crickets. I'll call coaches, crickets."
"I'm in a accident, my best friend passes away, y'all won't ask me nothing about that," he exclaimed.
Though he was able to move on and continue playing, J.R. still carries that guilt. In the years following the tragedy, Smith admitted that it fundamentally changed his perspective on life and accountability.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
