Former Auburn basketball player Jabari Smith returned to the Auburn area to host a free youth basketball camp
Over the weekend, budding NBA superstar Jabari Smith returned to the Plains. On Saturday, he hosted a free youth basketball camp for boys and girls at Loachapoka High School, just minutes outside of Auburn. Why did Smith decide to spend a summer weekend coaching up local kids?
"Because Auburn means so much to me," said Smith, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, per Auburn Athletics. "I really like to call Auburn home. I wasn't here for long but the relationships I've built, how much fun I had, and how much love I was shown while I was here, it's great for me to give back.
"Auburn is home. It's tattooed on me. This is my family here and I love Auburn. I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this community. I wanted to do it here. To have the first one here is a big deal for me. This is a big reason why I am the player I am today and the man I am today."
Smith, who received a long list of accolades in his one and only season on the Plains including SEC Freshman of the Year and the John R. Wooden award, was joined at his basketball camp by fellow former Auburn basketball players Jared and Jalen Harper and Wendell Green Jr.
#PokaPride appreciates the former @AuburnMBB players for giving back to the community. @Therealvinoo @LeeCoSchools #RaisingTheBar @jalenharper20 https://t.co/ziyggG5ewN pic.twitter.com/FHCL4l70Gc
— Poka Principal/AD CMAA (@LoachapokaAD) June 9, 2024
Smith was inspired to host a youth camp based on his experience in his father's camp as a kid and felt it was important to return to the Plains to give back to the community, but he also has plans to offer camps in Atlanta and Houston.
The former Auburn basketball player just finished up his second season in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, and averaged 13.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and shot 45 percent from the field.