On Thursday night, when he was widely expected to be the top overall pick in the NBA Draft, Jabari Smith Jr. instead became one of the new faces of the Houston Rockets — after a freshman year at Auburn that sent his draft stock soaring. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Brian Hamilton to look at how Smith, in the span of just five years, went from “a wiry, skinny kid with a little baby fat” to top-three pick in the NBA Draft. The answer has a lot to do with Smith’s own uncommon drive, and the sacrifices made by his dad, a former basketball star himself.

Read Brian Hamilton’s full story about Jabari Smith: https://theathletic.com/3088992/2022/01/25/the-next-kevin-garnett-how-auburns-jabari-smith-turned-himself-into-a-star/

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