Rockets rising star Jabari Smith Jr gives humbling reply for playing in Summer League: “I’m 20 years old”

It was a rough rookie year for Jabari Smith Jr. as many still remember that he fell from the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft to be selected third by the Houston Rockets.

Even during the regular season, Smith had a hard time as he averaged a subpar 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting a dismal 40.8% from the field

With one year in his NBA career in the record books, Jabari Smith Jr. looks to get a head start for the 2023-24 NBA season by playing in the NBA Summer League.

In just his first game against the Portland Trail Blazers with Scoot Henderson and a motivated Shaedon Sharpe, he shone, tallying 33 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a block. Smith even had the buzzer-beating 3-point basket to win the game.

JABARI SMITH JR. WITH THE WILD TRIPLE FOR THE ROCKETS WIN!

WHAT A WAY TO OPEN #NBA2KSummerLeague! https://t.co/qYhOWcLbvN

It seems that Smith is too good for the NBA Summer League already. But the incoming sophomore forward insists that he needed this to contribute better in the upcoming season:

"I'm 20 years old. Why wouldn't I play? We were 22-60 last year. My rookie year wasn't perfect, so why not get out here and get reps, play with my new teammates and coaches."

Jabari Smith Jr. on why he's playing in Summer League:

"I'm 20 years old. Why wouldn't I play? We were 22-60 last year. My rookie year wasn't perfect, so why not get out here and get reps, play with my new teammates and coaches."

📺 youtu.be/rQrk0GNs_0g https://t.co/f2wvxmLmnn

The Houston Rockets are set to battle the Detroit Pistons next. The game will feature the Thompson twins against each other on July 9 at 3 p.m. ET.

Other young stars join Jabari Smith Jr. in the limelight

The matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets was arguably the best game in the 2023 NBA Summer League so far.

Aside from the dominating performance of Jabari Smith Jr., Rockets rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore also showcased what they can do inside the basketball court.

Thompson had an all-around performance with 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, four blocks and three assists, while Whitmore was a man on a mission with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Amen Thompson with 9 points in his first 6 minutes! https://t.co/BOucUueptS

Tari Eason also had a strong performance with 20 points, 10 rebounds, five rebounds and four blocks.

On the other side of the fence, Shaedon Sharpe led the Trail Blazers with 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Scoot Henderson gave a good taste of his potential with 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and a steal in just 21 minutes before going out with a shoulder injury.