J.R. Smith drew a $50,000 fine last week for doing the unthinkable:
Emulating a NBA Hall of Famer.
It turns out that Smith, the New York Knicks' gunner, isn't the innovative evil genius he has been made out to be by untying opponents shoelaces during NBA games.
According to Deadspin.com, another "volume shooter" who is just a bit more revered in the game also had the audacity to pull off the shoelace-untying stunt.
Larry Bird.
Deadspin.com reposted an excerpt from "Unfinished Business," an article originally written by Jack McCallum that thestacks.deadspin.com revived.
In one part of "Unfinished Business," McCallum talks about Bird's on-court battle with the Indiana Pacers' Chuck Person during the first round of the 1991 playoffs:
"Bird and Person continued their personal battle. At one point when Bird was out of the game and lying on his towel in front of the bench, he reached over and untied Person's shoelaces as the Pacer waited for a free throw at the other end."
Deadspin.com added that it couldn't find any record of Bird getting fined for his actions.
Smith was caught twice untying a foe's shoelaces last week. He was standing next to the Dallas Mavericks' Shawn Marion during a free-throw attempt on Jan. 5. Two days later, he tried the move again, this time against the Detroit Pistons' Greg Monroe.
Monroe blocked the move.
The difference, of course, is that Smith has a reputation of being a selfish player. Bird is revered as one of the greatest players in the game.
Also, after the first shoelace incident, Knicks coach Mike Woodson assured the media that Smith would not pull the stunt again, according to USA TODAY Sports' For the Win, and the NBA also warned Smith not to do try an encore, according to ESPN New York.
Woodson then benched Smith for the Knicks' game against the Miami Heat on Jan. 9.
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