Victor Jackson is a personal trainer who mostly works with people like lawyers, CEOs or doctors, but he does have two clients that are very different from the majority: J.R. Smith and his little brother Chris Smith. For the most part Jackson stays away from working with professional athletes, but he has made an exception for the Smiths, and he is a big part of what they have been able to do on the court recently. Jackson met Chris when they played together at Manhattan College from 2007-09 and they have maintained a close relationship ever since while J.R. was also brought into the fold.
J.R. Smith doesn't have the best reputation around the NBA due to his off-the-court issues and suspensions for silly things on the court like untying opponents' shoelaces. However, Jackson had nothing but great things to say about J.R. as a person, as well as his brother, and it is very easy to tell that their is a lot of love between Jackson and the Smiths.
J.R. Smith is currently starting for the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team many people think are the favorites to win the NBA Championship, while Chris Smith is currently looking for a place to play after a short stint in Europe.
Jackson recently spoke to Headlines & Global News in an exclusive interview about Chris' future, J.R.'s contract situation, his workouts with both brothers and more.
Let's start with Chris. I saw he signed a contract to play in Kosovo earlier this season but left after one month. Do you know the reason why he left?
They weren't giving him the money that they promised. At the end of the day we all love to play, but it's also business at the same time.
What's next for Chris? Does he have any NBA offers?
He is in Cleveland now working out, not with the Cavaliers, but he and J.R. have a passion for the game, and he's in a fortunate situation where he doesn't need a job desperately because his brother makes enough to take care of him. Granted he is putting the work in to make it. Chris has one of the best work ethics that I have seen in any basketball player in general. I'm talking Kyrie [Irving], LeBron [James], he's up there in that same category of work ethic. J.R. has zero work ethic. I wouldn't say zero, but compared to Chris there is no comparison, and that is why we are all pushing for Chris to make it because of his work ethic.
Do you solely work with J.R. and Chris or are there other athletes as well?
No, for me not many other athletes, just because athletes are so picky I don't like them. Most of my clients are lawyers, doctors, CEOs, things like that. Still people with disposable income, but J.R. is really the only athlete of that caliber I work with.
Can you talk about the difference between working with someone like J.R. Smith and working with a lawyer?
Athletes know their bodies, the common day-to-day person does not. In the sense of an everyday person just wants to have fun and be pushed to a certain limit that they can't be pushed to mentally and physically themselves. An athlete you can't break especially during the season. As a trainer for an athlete your job is to keep them on the field or the court, not to make them better but to increase longevity. For an everyday person they have different goals. It could be weight loss, it could be to get bigger, or it could be to get stronger. Athletes rarely have goals like that, they just want to maintain their strength on the field of play. That's one of the biggest differences I've noticed between athletes and regular day-to-day people.
Do you think the Cavs have a shot at the title this season?
Talent-wise, yes, I think they could, but how Golden State is playing, and Golden State still isn't at their best, the Spurs and Clippers are only going to get better, and the East is stronger than we might think. It won't be a cakewalk through the East like it was last year because there is a lot of competition, but they definitely have a chance.
