Jabari Smith Jr. acknowleged an added dose of motivation Tuesday night as he discussed the Houston Rockets’ 118-106 win over the Orlando Magic.
Orlando isn’t any sort of NBA foe for Houston. But for Smith, facing the Eastern Conference franchise will always provide extra stakes. Smith was once presumed to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, only for Orlando to pull a draft-night shocker and instead choose Duke’s Paolo Banchero. The drop to No. 3 didn’t exactly derail Smith’s NBA future, and he doesn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward the Magic.