Rihanna's recent dates with a basketball star were just 'a distraction'.

The singer was spotted with New York Knicks player J.R. Smith several times last month. While there was speculation Rihanna had fallen for the bad boy athlete, those close to the star insist she isn't interested in taking things any further.

'The dates with J.R. weren't serious,' a source told Look magazine. 'It was just a distraction ' another wild night where she met the wrong kind of guy and had too much fun.'

Rumours have been circulating that Rihanna has grown close to her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown again. They are believed to be spending increasing amounts of time together, which is reportedly the reason behind Rihanna's reluctance to commit to another man.

'She is definitely not over Chris. She tries, but then she'll bump into him at an event. and it takes her straight back. I think she clings to this idea that it's fate pushing them together,' a source revealed. 'It's always an, 'If with her when she's talking about Chris. She just doesn't make good choices when it comes to men.'