“Bout To Take All His Money’: 61-Year-Old Kenny Smith Gets Criticized By Fans After Marrying 42-Year-Old Croatian Influencer Tia Jurcic In Lavish Wedding

Two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith has been winning his entire life. The former Houston Rockets point guard has elevated to new heights while working as a prominent basketball studio analyst for “Inside the NBA” on TNT/ESPN, while also appearing on NBA Countdown. During hoops season, he serves as a studio analyst for the joint CBS and Turner coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (March Madness). 

With all of that motion, the 61-year-old is still in pursuit of love after two marriages. In fact, “Jet” as he was known in his days on New York City playgrounds and then playing for the great Dean Smith at North Carolina, recently married 42-year-old Croatian influencer Tia Jurcic at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, California. 

Social Media Gives Side Eye To Kenny Smith Marrying Much Younger Tia Jurcic

The 19-year age difference has got social media talking. Both the bride and groom looked elegant and charming, but that wasn’t what social media focused on. 

One popular account @CuffstheLegend captioned a post of the newlyweds with: “I aint got the heart to tell em #SignThatPaperwork”

He was implying that Kenny will fall victim to the finesse like most older men who try to buy their way into the heart of a younger woman. Others agreed.

“He knows and he’s fine with it. As he should be,” one fan replied. 

“A lot of dudes know and they still down for the finesse,” another added. 

“CA is a non fault state. It’s 50/50 and you’d need a strong prenup to avoid 50/50,” said one netizen, already predicting the divorce settlement. 

“Bro gonna be Kenny “the Economy Seat” Smith in a few years,” one user joked. 

“Bout to take all his money,” one fan bluntly stated. 

“He too old not to know,” another fan quipped. 

Others criticized Smith for marrying outside his race — and country for that matter.

“Another exotic influencer. Ain’t no black kids gone be in major sports 20 years from now lol,” one fan quipped.

Kenny Smith Entering Third Marriage With Woman 19 Years Younger

Some fans suggested these responses were out of jealousy. That Smith, at age 61, can still get beautiful women much younger than him. Others just chalk it up to Kenny needing to be married. 

This is Smith’s third marriage.  Smith already has four children and two previous marriages lasting 10 and 11 years, which he recently spoke about in an interview.  

“So I was married 10 years and 11,” explained Smith in an interview on Ryan Clark’s “The Pivot” podcast. “In 21 years, I had only been with two women. My boy been with two women in one night two weeks ago…I had extended relationships for long periods. Like, I don’t cheat. I didn’t cheat on my wife.”

“I was happy with what I was doing. We just grew different ways. So like 10 years one time, 11. Two women could only really say that they know me. I don’t know if we all could say that. I just don’t know,” he added.

Smith knows how to pick em’ as each wife was a beauty queen. Smith’s first wife was Mary Dawn Reavis. They met as students at  the University of North Carolina and married in 1990. They have  two children together — Kayla Brianna Smith, an R&B singer and actress, and K.J. Smith, who played college basketball at UNC and is now a certified NBA agent 

Smith and Reavis divorced in 1999. After his first marriage, Smith met British actress and former “The Price Is Right” model Gwendolyn Osborne in 2004, and they married in 2006. He had two more kids and a reality show about it.

RELATED: Kenny And Gwendolyn Smith of “Meet The Smiths”

Who Is Tia Jurcic?

Jurcic is the stepdaughter of prominent Croatian economist and politician Ljubo Jurcic. She has also been married twice before. Her first marriage was to American basketball player Chris Warren. She’s reportedly an entrepreneur and lifestyle model, having built a career outside of the sports and entertainment industry.

Now Smith is entering a third marriage and maybe this one is a charm. The fans don’t seem to think so, but he’s earned the right to do whatever makes him happy.