5-star 2021 Auburn basketball recruit Jabari Smith is soon to feel more scrutiny than ever before. This season on the Plains is perhaps the most important season in history after qualification for the 2021 postseason was ripped from Bruce Pearl before the season even started and the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled altogether.
Perhaps that’s why he empathizes with recently eliminated Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James for being eliminated from the NBA postseason. James is one of the bigger lightning rods in the sports world and his detractors can be counted by the millions.
Smith, the soon-to-be starting power forward for the Tigers, took to Twitter to comment on the situation.
His primary question to those dedicating their energy to be happy and hateful about James’ shortcomings?
“What did he do you?”:
I’ve never seen people so happy over another man’s failure...it’s really sad...what did he do to y’all??😂😂
— Jabari Smith Jr (@jabarismithjr) June 4, 2021
Smith is one of the most talented recruits Auburn basketball has ever landed. He is projected to go as high as #4 in the 2022 NBA Draft according to Bleacher Report. His game has Kevin Durant-like qualities in many ways with his off-the-dribble pull-up abilities and his ability to use his length and athleticism to spectacularly swat shots at the rim.
One day, he could be in James’ shoes as an NBA great that is highly scrutinized by fans all over. Seeing Smith display empathy for the Association’s biggest name–even for someone that has not always used his platform for good–shows that he already has his mind on playing at the next level.
Given Bruce Pearl’s recent track record (Sharife Cooper, Isaac Okoro, Chuma Okeke), the expectations are that Auburn basketball’s blueprint in the pros will expand next season.
Unless the Lakers fall down to the bottom of the standings (or something traumatic happens to Smith’s draft stock) James and Smith won’t be teammates, in 2022.
That still won’t stop Smith from standing up for the greatest NBA player of his lifetime.