A nickname that former Cleveland Cavaliers star J.R. Smith assumed at one point in his NBA career was “Henny God,” based on his supposed love for the alcoholic drink Hennessy.
However, it appears as though the nickname was far from earned. In fact, Smith recently admitted that he actually hates the beverage.
"I don't even drink henny, bro… I hate that s–t."
JR sets the record straight 😂
📺: https://t.co/8raZd6porA pic.twitter.com/1IhNCy8Gw1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 15, 2020
“I don’t even drink Henny bro. I don’t,” he said. “It’s not my s—, bro. I actually hate it. I don’t even like the way it tastes. I hate that s— for real.”
Smith then explained that fans mistook a champagne bottle for a bottle of Hennessy in a picture that was captured following the Cavs’ epic comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals.
“The funny thing is the picture that everybody talks about with me drinking Henny, it’s a champagne bottle,” he said. “So, I don’t even know how that even came about.”
Smith last played NBA basketball in the early portion of the 2018-19 schedule. He then parted ways with the Cavs organization after it became clear that the team was focusing on rebuilding rather than competing for a playoff spot.
Since then, he has tried to make a return to the league, but has thus far fallen short. Most recently, it was reported that the Los Angeles Lakers were possibly interested.
Hopefully Smith gets another chance to prove his talent before calling it a career.
While his NBA future remains uncertain, one thing is quite clear: Fans won’t catch Smith sipping on Hennessy anytime soon.
