CLEVELAND, Ohio -- J.R. Smith, Cleveland basketball player, is gone. Smith said other than team trainers, he hasn’t talked to anyone with the Cavaliers since he walked off the court on Nov. 19 in Detroit. Nearly eight months later, Smith emerged from limbo, back in a jersey, back across the plaza from his former hoops home, but not back as a basketball player.

He re-emerged as J.R. Smith, Cleveland celebrity, a title he hopes to hold even though he’ll never take another dribble as a Cavalier.

Appearing in the All-Star celebrity softball game at Progressive Field late Sunday afternoon that kicked off three days of baseball All-Star festivities, Smith addressed the abrupt end of his Cavaliers career without awkwardness. He said he had no regrets about how he handled the end here.

“Unfortunately it didn’t work out for the duration of the season, but it worked out the way it was supposed to, I think,” Smith said.

If that includes batting shirtless in the softball game to a roaring ovation, tripling in a run, stealing home, celebrating with a split in the grass behind home plate that caused him to topple over, and then hugging everyone on his Cleveland team, then yes, this is the way it was supposed to be.

Some athletes might not show for a softball appearance after ignoring a basketball season. Not Smith. He was in his glory, and so were his fans.

“I’m great, I’m living a good life, so there’s no reason for me to be stressed or be dissatisfied," he said. “I get paid to stay in shape and stay ready to play basketball when I’m called, and if I’m not called, I get to still be home with my family.”

Smith the basketball player is difficult to excuse, at least the player of last season. He said he wanted a trade, and he was viewed as enough of a poor locker room influence for a young rebuilding team that the Cavs decided they were better off paying him to stay away. Smith was here for the winning, and bailed as soon as the on-court hopes went south.

But ... as a celebrity? You know, J.R., right? Playing shortstop for the Cleveland team, he received an ovation louder than any celebrity save for Jim Thome. He flew through the air to greet Machine Gun Kelly during intros, and dropped to his knees and raised his arms to worship former Brown Joe Thomas, who laughed and lifted Smith to his feet.

Who doesn’t love J.R.?

“I know I haven’t been here as long as Joe Thomas, but I feel that warm welcome,” Smith said before the game. “Like when he walks in, people light up to see him, I kind of feel like that when I come around.

“It’s a great feeling to be loved and wanted around the city. So many people didn’t ask me, ‘When are you coming back?’ when they saw me, they just told me how much they loved what I did for the team and the city and how much they appreciated it. So that made me feel good they don’t just see me as an athlete or basketball player.”

At age 33 and with 15 years in the NBA, Smith vowed that his basketball career isn’t over. He’s under contract for another year with the Cavs, who have so far been unable to turn his contract into an asset. They may just have to release him. Smith said he has no idea what will happen.

“I wish I knew,” he said. “I don’t have my rights. I’m not the general manager or the owner, so I don’t really have a choice in those decisions. So I’ll be home with my family and when they call me, they call me.”

But he dismissed any idea that his career his over.

“I’ll definitely play again,” Smith said.

In the meantime, he said he spent his days since November with his wife, Jewel, and his four daughters, missing the game, but appreciating the unexpected moments at home. He said he decided to play in this celebrity game because he sees how his kids look up to other celebs, and he realized some fans see him the same way.

After eight months away, it was time to say hello again. Just not on a court. Smith owns a title in Cleveland and a shirtless parade moment for the ages, yet the end was all soup throwing and moping. But that was just basketball.

This is life. And in life, who doesn’t want J.R. Smith at your softball game? That’s why Smith said this softball Sunday wasn’t a farewell to Cleveland.

“I don’t think it’s a farewell, because I’ll come back to Cleveland,” Smith said. “I think I’ll always be welcomed by the city, and that’s the more important thing to me. I don’t think it’s a farewell, I think it’s a to-be-continued.”

To emerge from the basketball shadows into the sunshine and green grass of a softball diamond put Smith right at home. Had he felt stuck in limbo?

“Technically, my whole career has been in limbo, so this is easy for me,” Smith said.

Smith listed all the tougher moments in his life several times while taking wave after wave of questions in the celebrity locker room, surrounded by Drew Carey and Dr. Oz and Stipe Miocic instead of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

But you know, this felt like J.R.'s kind of crowd. He wasn’t around to play basketball in Cleveland. But when Cleveland wanted to have a good time, there was no one better to answer the call. The NBA may or may not call on Smith. But Cleveland? Keep Smith on the list for celebrity party time for decades to come.

He won’t ever let it get awkward. I mean, he stormed second base in elation after Thome’s kid got a hit. The exiled Cav was Cleveland’s biggest cheerleader.

“I’m not worried about it,” Smith said, as media handlers kept trying to steer the conversation toward softball, and Smith kept handling questions about his basketball and life decisions without hesitation. “Nobody can hurt myself other than me at this point. Nobody can slander my name or put more on it than what I’ve done to it. So this is easy."

Smith knows he’s made mistakes. But he’ll always know how to have a good time.

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