Hunt County Jail records list the charge as assault causing bodily injury, family violence, against Smith, whose full name is Earl Joseph Smith. He was booked into the Hunt County Detention Center, located about an hour outside of Dallas. Bond had not been set as of Tuesday morning.
Smith, 41, built a long NBA career after starting with the Cavaliers. He later followed LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers and picked up a second championship ring with that team in 2020. After retiring from professional basketball, Smith went back to college to play golf, an unusual second act that drew plenty of attention.
The arrest puts a pause on what had been a quieter chapter for Smith since leaving the NBA. He was known during his playing days as a streaky shooter and a key piece of two title runs, one in Cleveland and one in Los Angeles. Now his legal situation in Texas adds a different kind of headline to that story.
No word yet on when Smith might appear in court or what happens next in the case. The charge against a former NBA champion is already drawing national attention from outside Hunt County.