J.R. Smith appears on Patrick Peterson's podcast this week, and revealed Sam Dekker as the lone teammate he truly despised through his 16-year NBA career. As teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018-19 season, Smith noted he heard Dekker expressing support for Donald Trump.
The allegation drew a strong rebuttal on social media both from Sam Dekker (currently in the Turkish League) and wife Olivia Harlan Dekker, who questioned Smith's credibility as a source.
Smith later responded by asking Olivia Dekker to ask her husband 'why he can't use the N-word' - without elaboration. In a deleted tweet, Sam Dekker he was blindsided by the charge, and is not one to get into politics. That did not stop Deadspin from linking Dekker to 'white privilege' without evidence.