BOSTON: J.R. Smith knows the fact that he likes giving flowers belies his reputation.
“Surprisingly, yes,” he said Wednesday night without a hint of sheepishness.
The Cavaliers guard did not hesitate to admit it was his idea to order them for Mother’s Day for those at the Cleveland Clinic’s neonatal intensive care unit.
“I’ve got to take credit for that,” he said.
Smith’s wife, Shirley Smith, gave details on her blog, MyKotaBear, that she has kept since their daughter Dakota was born five months prematurely on Jan. 2. Dakota remains hospitalized with Shirley by her side.
Smith said Shirley often brings food, snacks and beverages for the employees and mothers whom she’s come to know. But they took that a step further on Sunday.
As Shirley Smith wrote, her husband was not there when the flowers arrived. She pushed the cart as daughter Demi placed an arrangement in every room. When Smith arrived after practice, Dakota napped on her father’s chest.
Signs on holders bearing Dakota’s and Demi’s names along with the preemie’s went along with the arrangements, as an Instagram photo showed.
“Yeah, they were surprised, but my wife does stuff like that all the time for them,” Smith said after the Cavs’ victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at TD Garden. “There’s a lot of great stories up there.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.