BIOGRAPHY
Jabari Smith Jr. was born on May 13, 2003, in Fayetteville, Georgia. He is a forward in the NBA.
Smith started playing varsity basketball as a sophomore at Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia. As a junior, he averaged 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. In his senior season, Smith averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks per game, leading his team to a Class 3A state runner-up finish. He was named Mr. Georgia Basketball, Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-Classification Player of the Year. Smith was selected to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit. He competed for the Atlanta Celtics on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.
Smith was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class. On October 9, 2020, he announced his commitment to playing college basketball for Auburn over offers from Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. He became the highest ranked player to commit to Auburn in the modern recruiting era.
Smith made his college debut against Morehead State in a 77–54 victory for the Tigers. On February 16, 2022, Smith recorded a season-high 31 points in an 94–80 victory over Vanderbilt. As a freshman, he averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and two assists per game. At the conclusion of his freshman season Smith was awarded many honors including being named the SEC Freshman of the Year, a member of the All-SEC first team and a second-team All American. On April 5, 2022, Smith declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility. Smith was projected as a projected top-three selection in the 2022 NBA draft and the potential first pick.
On the night of the 2022 NBA draft, Smith Jr. was selected with the third overall pick by the Houston Rockets.
