Recent Auburn great will become an NBA superstar

Former Auburn basketball great Jabari Smith is now a key player on the Houston Rockets, playing a big role on the team that is turning their fortunes around. No. 10 is providing the team with good production offensively and on the boards, averaging 12 points and seven rebounds through nine games.

The Rockets are off to a surprisingly hot start this season, winning twice as many games as they’ve lost ahead of the 10th-game benchmark, but if their goal is to get to that next level they will need to run the offense through Smith.

Featuring a young core full of recent draftees, including Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson, Smith is the player with perhaps the most big-game experience of the bunch having helped AU reach the No. 1 overall ranking during his lone season (2021-22) on the Plains.

Former Auburn basketball star Jabari Smith showing superstar attitude with Rockets

Perhaps more important than what Smith does on the floor is his willingness to take a backseat off of it. When asked about being benched late in games for veteran Jeff Green, Smith recently shared a superstar attitude.

“We winning, so I ain’t really trippin’ about it,” Smith on November 15 (h/t Houston Chronicle). “Jeff is closing the game’s great, and it’s good for me to see what he’s doing in those situations, why he’s in and just learn from it. It’s not necessarily a thing to get down on myself or nothing. I know I’ll be closing games, but it’s just right now he knows how to close. He’s an NBA champion, been in the league for 17 years, and I’m just watching and learning how to do it.”

Smith is the total package, and it won’t be long before he is regarded as one of the top difference-makers across the Association.

A skillset and attitude like his typically come together and inspire great results.