Once upon a time, J.R. Smith was looking for companionship in New York.

There are many ways one can go about this. You can hit up a club and ask a girl out, or you could send a direct message on Twitter to a girl who is attending the game you're playing by asking, "You trying to get the pipe?"

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The direct-message screenshot has been shared thousands of times, and the phrase has gained popularity since we first saw it in 2013. T-Shirts were made of it, and it's been a fun source of jokes over the years.

Let J.R. Smith's DMs hang in the rafters. pic.twitter.com/AgPlC69u0K — Complex (@ComplexMag) January 6, 2015

Aside from an Instagram post of pipes, Smith hasn't really discussed the image, until now. In a well-done piece by ESPN The Magazine's Sam Alipour, Smith talked about the screenshotted DM.

"I was very immature and stupid," Smith said. "But I learned from it too: Watch what you say on social media."

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That's a very good lesson from Smith, and it's something other athletes should be cautious about. There have been many players (including LeBron James) to fall victim of being screenshotted by females.