Jabari Smith Jr. hopes to become the next great wing in the NBA, projecting to be a two-way monster with his defensive skills and jump shooting ability. Naturally, this led to him working out with Kevin Durant in the summer, a player Smith referred to as a robot in practice.
“Shooting the same shot every time. If you see him shoot, every shot is the same. If you see how precise all of his movements are, he’s like a robot. Everything looks the same. So, I tried to mimic that.”
Jabari has a 6’10” frame with a polished offensive game. There’s a lot more he can still learn and improve upon, which explains why he linked up with Durant in the summer. Smith also revealed he trained with Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum over the summer, showing his dedication toward becoming one of the best two-way wings in the NBA.
Smith is averaging 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this season as the Rockets have been one of the biggest surprises early in the NBA season.
How Did Jabari Smith Jr. Link Up With Kevin Durant?
NBA players often spend the summer working out together, but it’s usually if a group of players are friends with each other. Jabari and Durant haven’t had their paths cross outside the NBA court, but when most of the league was in Los Angeles during the Rico Hines runs, Smith saw Durant working out with his trainer and simply jumped in.
“I came out here in LA playing in the Rico Hines runs. Before a pickup, he was working out and I just jumped in with him and his trainer. It was pretty good. He pays a lot of attention to detail. It was good for me to see just how hard you got to work, how consistent you got to be, and how important it is to focus on the little things.”
Smith confirmed he didn’t have a relationship with Durant before the summer workout, discussing how teammate Jalen Green had worked out with KD before. Now that Jabari has also trained with Durant, he explained why that time meant a lot to him.
“Not really. But Jalen [Green] was working with him before that. I was down there working with Jalen. It meant a lot for KD to work with me. I’ve been watching him a lot since I was in high school and middle school. Getting a chance to work with him was almost like a dream. He’s one of the greatest scorers ever, and I got to pick his brain.”
Kevin Durant is an icon of basketball, no matter how some fans may feel about it. He’s going to retire as one of the greatest scorers in league history. The two-time Finals MVP could further strengthen his legacy by winning a championship with the Suns. His season is off to a good start, averaging 30.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
Hopefully, Jabari gets to work out with Durant next offseason as well. Tips from Durant will fit Jabari’s play style perfectly and could revolutionize his game as the Rockets hope to return to contention.
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