J.R. Smith and His Wife Give a Heartbreaking Update on Their Newborn Daughter

J.R. Smith and his wife give a heartbreaking update on their newborn daughter who arrived five months premature.

January 8, 2017

Some things are just bigger than basketball, and J.R. Smith is in the middle of a couple of trying weeks that are proving just that. He was recently sidelined with a thumb injury until the playoffs. And now, Smith's revealed that he and his wife are struggling with a family crisis as well.

Smith and his wife Jewel recently shared a video in which they revealed that their daughter, who was expected to be born in October, was born five months early. The little girl, who's named Dakota, only weighs one pound.

“We know we’re not the only family going through this, who has been through this and who will ever go through it, that’s why we decided to share what we’re going through with you guys," Jewel said in the video. "Please keep us in your prayers, and we’ll do the same for everyone else.” She added that Dakota was five days old on Saturday.

The responses to the video were an outpouring of support from fans all over the country. Many also shared stories of premature births that yielded healthy, happy babies.