Dennis Smith’s recovery after considering NBA retirement

The story of Dennis Smith It is written, for the time being, in blood, sweat and tears in the NBA. He’s barely been in it for five years and retirement was really close. Especially this past summer. The lack of chances and, moreover, the failure to take advantage of the previous ones had left him in a difficult position for the transfer market and only a start at the Charlotte Hornets, the team that gave him confidence when all seemed lost, restored calm to the his restless thoughts.

Smith began his career in Dallas almost simultaneously with Luca Doncic, a year earlier, and the Slovenian’s takeoff was the disgrace of the teammate who was supposed to accompany him on the outside line, who didn’t have the same standards. Brunson, who is from the same year as Luka, won his place as a quality substitute and his light went out in the team that had chosen him as the ninth best project of his generation. The NBA has also been a problem for him lately.

The player confessed that this 2022 was the one with the difficult decision. He has seen all lost. in collected words Michael Scotto saves HoopsHype The 24-year-old escort opened up like this: “I told my former agent: ‘I’m not going to play in another country.’ If this shit didn’t work, I would have gone to the NFL. It was fucking serious. I gained a lot of weight because I was going to try it”. Dennis’s idea was to earn a job like defensive back He made it to a few teams in the National Football League, but none made it before the Hornets knocked on their door. And thank goodness. You got the point back. “People have been constantly writing me off. I know I’m young. I have time and faith in myself”, stands out. His still short NBA career took him to his nadir and he now sees it as a passing pro after getting over it. “It was a roller coaster, up and down. Obviously I wouldn’t trade it for anyone else’s. I think he changed me in so many ways, he made me who I am and helped me grow. I’m grateful”ends.

Smith has gone through more teams than the Mavericks where he started. He was only with the Texans for two years, after which he was dropped by Carlisle. He was transferred to Knicks in the Porzingis deal and also spent two seasons there with no luck. In the Pistons It was in the final stretch of 2020/21 and hasn’t continued. His last team up to the new chance had been Portland Trail Blazers.

RELATED | The martyrdom of Dennis Smith

It seems a divine gesture that the place where he found his smile is in Charlotte. Smith was born in Godwin, a small town in North Carolina, and played one year in the NCAA with the state university. Now, in the NBA team they have there, he flies like before. Part of the blame lies with Nick Friedman, who is now an assistant coach there; It was he who coached him individually for the 2017 Drafts, they have kept in touch over the years, they coincided in a party in Miami, Friedman bet on him to be seen on the team and convinced in such a way that he would win a job contract for one year. She’s taking advantage of it like a charm. He also helped physical problems Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball and sports extras James Bouknight and Miles Bridges get minutes where there were none. That’s 29.5 per game, Clifford’s most confident in what he’s doing, and his contribution rises to 10’2 points, 3’6 rebounds, 6’2 assists and 1’9 steals with an acceptable 35.7% in the triples. A crash course in how to hang on to the NBA.