"And I was dead-ass serious; I put on hella weight; I was gonna try” - Charlotte Hornets star reveals he was ready to give NFL a shot before joining Eastern Conference team
Dennis Smith Jr. signed a one-year deal worth $2.1 million with the Charlotte Hornets in the summer. What people may not know is the fact that this deal nearly didn't happen.
Apparently, Smith Jr. was preparing to make his transition into football and wanted to give the NFL a shot. The Hornets star was already training during the summer and was serious about making the jump.
“I told my previous agent, ‘I’m not going overseas.’ " Dennis Smith Jr. said. "If s**t don’t work out, I’m just going to the NFL. And I was dead-ass serious. I put on hella weight. I was gonna try.”
Dennis Smith Jr. began training for the NFL before signing with the Hornets
“I told my previous agent, ‘I’m not going overseas.’ If sh-- don’t work out, I’m just going to the NFL. And I was dead-ass serious. I put on hella weight. I was gonna try.”
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According to Bleacher Report, Smith Jr. stated that he used to play football in high school. He had always planned on playing for college teams, however, his basketball skills outshone his football nous. Smith Jr. was one of the top basketball prospects during his younger years. That fact alone was a major deciding factor for him to pursue basketball instead.
Dennis Smith Jr. gave up NFL pursuit; signed with the Charlotte Hornets instead
When he was contemplating the idea of moving to the NFL, Smith Jr. was preparing to be a defensive back. Considering that his initial plans didn't go through, we're assuming that someone convinced him to sign with the Charlotte Hornets instead. But why exactly did Dennis Smith Jr. want to leave the basketball world? Let's break it down.
Dennis Smith Jr. was selected ninth overall in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2017 NBA Draft. No one was expecting him to be a star, but we know that he's a solid all-around player.
During his time in Dallas, we saw glimpses of just how good Smith Jr. really is. He averaged a solid 14.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in his two season with the squad.
After his time with the Mavericks, Smith Jr. wasn't able to take his game to the next level. It's safe to say that he became worse instead. Dennis struggled to find his place in the league. He went from being a starter in Dallas to becoming a bench player in the next three teams he played for. Smith Jr. suited up for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers after his rodeo in Texas.
He only averged 7.2 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.5 rebounds for those three. Those should be fairly decent numbers for role players, but for a guy like Dennis Smith Jr., those figures are way off the mark. Due to his shortcomings as an NBA player, Smith Jr. figured that he should try out for the NFL instead. It made a lot of sense considering that it was his first love.
It isn't clear how or who convinced Dennis Smith Jr. to sign with the Charlotte Hornets this season instead. However, it seems like it was the right decision after all. Charlotte Hornets fans could be witnessing a Dennis Smith Jr. resurgence. As of their latest game against the New York Knicks, Smith Jr. is now averaging 13.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.3 steals.