NEW YORK — J.R. Smith texted his younger brother late Friday night shortly after Louisville advanced to the Big East championship game against Cincinnati.
“I heard you boys won,” J.R. told Chris, a senior shooting guard at Louisville. “Thanks for holding on for me.”
While the Knicks are mired in a four-game losing streak following their loss in Milwaukee Friday in which J.R. got his first start and scored just three points, Chris and the Cardinals are riding high under former Knicks coach Rick Pitino.
Their 64-50 semifinal win over No. 2 Notre Dame was their third straight here at the Garden and allows J.R. — who played this season in China until last month — to watch his younger brother for the first time all season.
And it will just happen to come in Saturday night’s championship game, one day before the Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday at noon.
“My brother will be in the building, my sister, my niece and nephews, so it’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Chris said after scoring nine points on 4-for-10 shooting.
A year ago, Chris and the Cardinals lost in the Big East championship game to Kemba Walker and UConn. So now he gets a rare chance to make up for that defeat.
“It will be historic if we win it, or when we win it, for my family and my teammates,” Chris said. “And my brother, he’s very proud of me so it would mean a lot.”
Growing up in Lakewood, N.J., Chris idolized his older brother. They played together in the back yard and in playgrounds at Millstone Middle School and Lakewood High School.
“When I was younger, I used to follow his every footstep,” Chris said. “I was the little brother you couldn’t get rid of. I was at every one of his games no matter where it was at. And I was trying to hopefully get a jersey and be on the same team.
“I look up to him like, ‘Wow.’ It’s a wow factor for me.”
J.R. finished up at St. Benedict’s Prep before going directly to the NBA in 2004 following a breakout showing in the McDonald’s All-American Game.
“He could shoot, run and jump, so it’s like, ‘OK, he’s definitely going to the NBA,'” said Chris, who also played at St. Benedict’s for former coach Dan Hurley before first pledging to Manhattan.
While Chris grew up dreaming of wearing his older brother’s jersey, he doesn’t yet own a Knicks shirt.
“I don’t have a Knicks jersey yet,” Chris said, “but I’m pretty sure I’ll get one [Saturday].”
And maybe J.R. will ask for his brother’s Louisville jersey, too.
