A recent former top-three lottery pick recalls that his encounter with nine-time All-NBA Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo supplied his inaugural “welcome to the NBA” moment, initiating him into the league at large.
Houston Rockets power forward Jabari Smith Jr. was the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft behind All-Star Orlando Magic power forward Paolo Banchero and champion Oklahoma City Thunder center/power forward Chet Holmgren.
During an appearance on the podcast “The Young Man & The Three” earlier this week, Smith unpacked their meeting.
“Oh my gosh, I remember this like it was yesterday,” Smith told New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III of his “welcome to the NBA” moment.
Upon entering Houston’s team locker room that fateful night, Smith noticed that on the team whiteboard, he had been tasked with defending Antetokounmpo.
“Like, we in film. We prepping. Like, we obviously saying, ‘Build a wall,’” Smith said. “It was no wall the whole game. Like, I feel like I was on an island. I’m coming to the bench mad. I’m like, ‘Where everybody at?’”
This story will be updated…