Why did Will Smith meet with the LA Lakers recently? All you need to know
Academy Award-winning actor Will Smith made a rare public appearance on a visit to the LA Lakers. The team announced on Wednesday that Smith recently gave the Lakers a pep talk to inspire them through a difficult season. The Lakers are off to a rough start, going winless in their first four games of the season.
According to the Lakers, Smith discussed togetherness and gratitude as part of the team's "Genius Talk." The theme of his inspirational talk came from his upcoming film titled "Emancipation." He received a No. 14 jersey from the team.
The 54-year-old actor has been out of the spotlight since his slapping incident at the 94th Academy Awards. "Emancipation" is his first film credit of the year.
The Lakers, on the other hand, are struggling on offense to start the season. They are 0-4 following their 110-99 defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Their defense is among the best in the NBA, but their outside shooting has been the main problem.
Huge thank you to Will Smith, who joined the team to discuss strength through togetherness, and practicing gratitude in times of great challenge. All themes in his forthcoming masterpiece film, Emancipation.
🎙 | Lakers Genius Talk https://t.co/H2Pt0bmBhr
What is the LA Lakers' 'Genuis Talk' series?
According to People Magazine, the LA Lakers introduced the "Genius Talk" series in the 2017-18 NBA season. The series is focused on helping players expand their horizons outside the basketball court. The Lakers only invite successful people from different fields.
Some of the previous speakers on "Genius Talk" include Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Elon Musk, Denzel Washington, Kendrick Lamar and Allyson Felix. Johnson's talk in 2019 was mired in general manager Rob Pelinka's falsified Kobe Bryant story.
Pelinka famously told a story of Bryant having dinner with Heath Ledger after watching "The Dark Knight" in 2008. Ledger tragically died six months before the release of the film.
Will Smith, LA Lakers having a bad 2022
The LA Lakers and Will Smith are having a bad year. The Lakers are coming off an embarrassing season wherein they missed the playoffs after acquiring Russell Westbrook. It was a dysfunctional season in Hollywood that led to the dismissal of coach Frank Vogel.
Darvin Ham was hired as his replacement this summer, while almost the entire roster was overhauled. The Lakers got younger by signing free agents, but failed to improve their shooting. Despite the changes made this offseason, the Lakers are the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA four games into the new campaign.
Meanwhile, Smith was embroiled in a controversial incident at the 94th Academy Awards in April. When Chris Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald hair, Will proceeded to slap him live on stage. He also shouted profanities toward the comedian afterwards.
The incident received worldwide attention and overshadowed Smith winning the Best Actor award for the film "King Richard" later that night. The Academy punished Smith by suspending him for 10 years.