Have you ever felt so loyal to a corporate sponsor or clothing brand that you literally tattooed their name onto your body? If so, you have something in common with J.R. Smith.
The veteran Cleveland Cavaliers guard has been modeling for Supreme as part of the brand's recent collaboration with Nike, as Smith told Joe La Puma on Complex's "Sneaker Shopping." The two sides have been a "perfect fit," the 32-year-old NBA player said, especially since Supreme told his representation he "would be a perfect athlete" to showcase their stuff.
Things are so perfect, apparently, that Smith is now sporting a "Supreme" tattoo on his right calf. And he wasn't even paid for it.
"I got the tattoo the other day," he said, per Complex. "There was a lot behind it. People were like, 'Are they paying you for it?' and I was like, 'No,' so they were like, 'What are you doing it for?' And I was like, 'That's who I am. That's why I am who I am.' It worked out."
The subsequent discussion topics are limitless.
Why did the tattoo have to be gigantic? A small-print "Supreme" wouldn't suffice? Nope, we need to cover the entire calf!
Does J.R. even care? This is a guy, after all, who lost count of his other tattoos six years ago.
Perhaps the most plausible explanation: Maybe J.R. thought he would be paid for the tattoo? It wouldn't be the first time he's fumbled the details in crunch time.
Ask him, though, and he's content to put up with the critics.
"You know the trolls are always going to have something to say," he told Complex. "I'll let that rock and take the win."
"Let that rock," in this case, means sporting an irremovable, free and easy-to-read advertisement on his leg.
