Jabari Smith reveals the origins of his team-first mentality after NBA Draft selection

NBA rookie Jabari Smith has tried his best to play the game with a team-first mentality. Despite entering his freshman year at Auburn this past season as a five-star recruit, the forward maintained that mindset.

Smith led the Tigers in scoring this past season with 16.9 points in addition to 7.4 rebounds per game. His play helped the Tigers to a 28-6 overall record, a 15-3 record in SEC play and, at one point, the program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking during the regular season. He won the National Freshman of the Year award was projected by many experts to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-10 forward ultimately fell to the Houston Rockets at No. 3, where he’ll hope his team-first approach to the game can bring him success in his rookie season.

“That’s how I was raised,” Smith said in his introductory press conference. “Even when I was younger, my dad always made sure I was playing the game the right way. Always made sure I was caring about winning. As you start playing against pros and people of the same caliber as you, everybody can score. Scoring is something everybody can do in the league as you go down 1-15. You’ve got to do things to separate yourself and do things to affect winning. I feel like if you go into every game focusing on winning and not scoring more points than you did the last game, everything else will take care of itself. That’s kind of how I approach the game because I feel like I play better.”

That’s just one of the many lessons Smith learning from his father, Jabari Smith Sr., growing up. The elder Smith was a second-round pick made by the Sacramento Kings in the 2000 NBA Draft, spending five years in the league with the Kings, 76ers and Nets. He also played professionally overseas from 2006-10.

But his dad isn’t the only family member in Jabari Smith’s life with NBA experience. Smith is also the cousin of Kwame Brown, the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NBA Draft who spent 12 years in the league. He’ll look to put lessons from both his dad and Brown to use during his first NBA season.

Smith will get his first chance to show off his skills at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The Rockets are first scheduled to face the Orlando Magic and No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday.