J.R. Smith cleared in alleged New York choking incident

Remember the alleged incident that involved J.R. Smith, a 19-year-old with braces, and a New York City nightclub? Well, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Haynes, Smith—who had claimed innocence in the matter—has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

According to the initial report, Smith was reportedly on his mobile phone when a group of kids interrupted and asked for a picture. When they were turned down, things got a little fuzzy. Here’s the initial report from the New York Daily News:

The teen, Justin Brown, who wears braces and hails from Harlem, was with pals who chided Smith for ignoring their fan request for a photo.

Smith is seen on a cell phone video walking away from the group, sources said.

“That’s why New York kicked you out, yo!” Brown remarked.

Brown told cops that after the verbal brush, Smith, who is 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, checked him against the exterior of the building and put his hands around Brown’s neck, police sources said.

A short time before the incident, Brown and his pals had taken a selfie inside the late-night pizza place with Moroccan-born performer French Montana, an ex-boyfriend of Khloe Kardashian.

Rapper Jeezy was also seen that morning interacting with fans.

Smith’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, wasted no time saying the claims against the Cavs’ swingman are unfounded. Here’s Haynes follow-up report on the matter:

Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith has been cleared of any wrongdoing stemming from an alleged altercation with a fan outside of a New York night club in November.

“We are thankful there was not a rush to judgment and the truth came out,” Smith’s attorney Alex Spiro said in a statement.

“After a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding this case, we have concluded that the evidence does not support criminal charges against Mr. Smith,” Patrick Muncie, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement to cleveland.com.

According to Haynes, the NYPD has closed the case. According to Smith, ya’all were crazy to believe this story in the first place.

Don't believe everything you read!

— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) November 20, 2015