Article about Houston Rockets player Jabari Smith Jr on practicing with his idol Kevin Durant during training camp from October: “I was told Jabari Smith Jr. has basically just chained himself to KD,” Levine said. “He’s asked the staff to tailor his entire schedule to being with KD at all times.”
I guess that statement “Never meet your heroes” is true. This must be crushing for Jabari considering that he literally was at KD’s hip the entire offseason. Source
Excerpt from article:
“It suggests that Durant has taken mentorship seriously, and has committed to helping bring up a younger guy. Seeing this happening also reinforces the idea that KD is on board with aligning himself to Smith with the mindset of helping him grow.
It’s also an indicator that Jabari doesn’t simply think he’s arrived at this point. He clearly has a desire to learn from one of the greatest players of a generation, and it’s that kind of humility that can often separate a good young player from a great one. ”