Tag: Auburn in the NBA

How does Sharife Cooper feel about his professional career?

Cooper is working this summer to earn a spot on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster.

[autotag]Sharife Cooper[/autotag] was one of the most highly anticipated recruits to ever come through the Auburn Basketball program.

According to 247Sports, Cooper is the third-highest-ranked recruit the Tigers have ever landed.

Things did not go exactly as planned, however, as an NCAA investigation, a shortened season, and injuries heavily limited Cooper’s time on the court and he only played in 12 games.

The Powder Springs, Georgia native was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the 48th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. After filling the role of a two-way player for the Hawks in the 2021-22 season, Cooper did the same thing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2022-23 season.

Cooper offered his perspective on why he does not have a permanent spot on an NBA roster when talking to reporters last week. An AL.com article included what Cooper had to say.

“You got to control what you can control,” Cooper said. “It’s so hard to think about: What can I do to get to the next level? You get so caught up into that, you kind of lose focus on where you are.”

Cooper also gave some insight into his thought process for his career.

“I try not to think like that,” Cooper said. “I’m blessed to have this opportunity. Not too many people get to say they can come to a summer league and have a training camp in the NBA. I try not to lose the thought that I’m extremely blessed to be where I am, and, hopefully, I just take care of what I have to take care of and let everything else take care of itself.”

Cooper is determined to show that he is capable of a full-time spot on an NBA roster.

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WATCH: Jabari Smith hits crazy buzzer-beater to win Summer League opener

He scored 29 points in the second half to lead the Rockets to victory.

[autotag]Jabari Smith Jr.[/autotag] didn’t have the rookie season many were expecting but his second season is off to a great start. He made a wild buzzer-beating 3-point shot to lead the Houston Rockets to a 100-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night in Las Vegas.

Smith took over for the Rockets in the final 30 seconds of the game.

He made six straight free throws to cut the Trail Blazers lead to 98-97 with 9 seconds to go. He then blocked an attempted alley-oop by Ibou Badji with 0.6 seconds left to keep the Rockets alive.

The former Tiger then caught the inbounds at the top of the key and heaved in the game-winner.

Smith scored the final nine points of the game for the Rockets to finish with a game-high 33 points. He had an efficient night from the field, making 44.4% of his shots from the floor, 37.5% from 3-point range, and going 14-of-17 from the free-throw line.

He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team last season after averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Rockets.

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Three former Tigers to play in NBA 2k24 Summer League

jabari Smith, Sharife Cooper and Wendell Green Jr. are set to return to the court.

Three former Tigers are set to compete in the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023. The event will take place on July 7-17 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] headlines the group after being drafted by the Houston Rockets with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He is joined by guards [autotag]Sharife Cooper[/autotag] and [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] who will both be playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Smith was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Rockets. He will be looking to improve his efficiency after shooting 40.8% from the field and just 30.7% from deep last season.

Cooper is looking to show he is ready to compete in the NBA after making the All-NBA G League Second Team last season. He averaged 21.3 points, 6.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Cleveland Charge last season.

Green went undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft and is looking to earn a contract.

Every game of the event will be on either an ESPN network (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews) or NBA TV. You can also stream them on the ESPN App or NBA App.

Here is a look at the schedule for both the Cavaliers and the Rockets.

Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith Jr. make NBA All-Rookie teams

Walker Kessler made the first team and Jabari Smith Jr. made the second.

[autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] and [autotag]Jabari Smith Jr.[/autotag] were both named to the NBA’s All-Rookie teams on Monday.

Kessler made the first team at center while Smith made the second team as a power forward.

Kessler, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game for the Utah Jazz. His 72% shooting percentage led the league and his 2.3 blocks were fourth most.

Smith averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Houston Rockets after they drafted him with the No. 3 overall pick. He struggled from deep in his first season, making just 30.7% of his shots from behind the arc.

He recorded three straight 20-point, 10-rebound games in March for the Rockets to become the first teenager in NBA history to do so. and the first Rockets rookie since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984.

They are the fifth and sixth former Tigers to be named to the NBA All-Rookie teams, joining Charles Barkley (1985, first), Chris Morris (1989, second), Chuck Person (1987, first), and Wesley Person (1995, second).

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Walker Kessler scores career-high 31 points for the Utah Jazz

He has been a steal for the Jazz.

[autotag]Walker Kessle[/autotag]r continued his sensational rookie season last night for the Utah Jazz.

The former Auburn Tigers scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a loss to the Sacramento Kings. He was once again extremely efficient, making 14 of his 16 shots.

Kessler is the first-ever Jazz rookie to have a 30-point, 10-rebound game and it is the 19th time this season he has recorded a double-double.

He has already established himself as an elite rim protector, blocking 2.3 shots per game, the fourth most of anyone in the NBA. But he is starting to show his ability to impact the offensive end.

In 10 games this March he is averaging 13.2 points per game and has finished in double figures seven times. He’s up to 8.9 points per game in his season and is making 72.2% of his shots, the best percentage in the entire NBA.

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WATCH: Isaac Okoro drains game-winning 3 for Cleveland Cavaliers

It is the first game-winner of his young career.

The biggest question about [autotag]Isaac Okoro[/autotag] when the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him was his shooting. Well, he showed how far he has come Thursday night, draining a three with 0.7 seconds remaining to secure a 116-114 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

With the Cavs trailing 114-112 with 11.6 seconds left the Nets fouled Donovan Mitchell who calmly made the first free throw before missing the second. After Mitchell missed two put-back shots the ball bounced out to Caris LeVert who found Okoro in the corner for the game-winner.

Okoro finished the game with 11 points and was 3-of-4 from deep.

After making just 28.6% of his 3-pointers in his lone season at Auburn, he has improved each season and is shooting 35.3% from behind the arc this season. He is averaging 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds for the Cavaliers who are 47-28 and the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Watch Okoro make his first career game-winner below.

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Jabari Smith joins Hakeem Olajuwon in Rockets history

Jabari Smith is starting to heat up.

[autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] continued his great play Monday night and helped lead the Houston Rockets to a 111-109 win over the Boston Celtics.

Smith finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, his third-straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. The former Auburn Tiger is the first Rockets rookie to accomplish that feat since the great Hakeem Olajuwon did so in six straight games in 1985.

Smith, the third overall pick in last year’s draft, struggled to start the season but has turned a corner over the past six games. He is averaging 18.7 points and 7.8 rebounds over that stretch

Even more impressively, he is starting to become an efficient scorer. He is shooting 72.9% from the field and 53.6% from 3-point range in those six games.

“(I’m) just letting it go and trusting my work,” Smith told Vanessa Richardson of AT&T SportsNet Southwest. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was born (so I’m) trusting my work, trusting what got me here and just letting it fly.”

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Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler to compete in NBA All-Star skills challenge

The former teammates will be facing off Saturday.

The NBA All-Star Weekend will take place this weekend in Salt Lake City and two former Auburn stars will be competing. [autotag]Jabari Smith Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] will battle each other in the Kia Skills Challenge Saturday night.

The event consists of three teams of three players that are put through a four-round competition that tests their dribbling, passing, and shooting abilities. Smith will be coming on the rookie team with Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Detroit’s Jaden Ivey. While Kessler is on the Jazz team with Jordan Clarkson and Colin Sexton.

The final team consists of the three Antetokounmpo brothers (Giannis, Alex, and Thanasis). The two teams with the most points will advance to the final.

Kessler has had a great rookie season for the Jazz, averaging 8.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks. Smith is averaging 11.9 points and 7.0 rebounds for the Rockets.

The event is set to start at 7 p.m. CT and will be on TNT.

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Kessler, Smith invited to participate in NBA Rising Stars Game

Auburn’s first-round picks are making a splash in their inaugural season in the NBA.

It is no secret that Auburn’s first-round picks are doing well in their first season in the NBA.

[autotag]Jabari Smith Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] are being rewarded for their stellar play during the first half of the NBA season by being named to the NBA Rising Stars game that will be played on Feb. 17, which will be during NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City.

Smith and Kessler will be playing alongside fellow rookies A.J. Griffin, Andrew Nembhard, and Paolo Banchero, among six others. The rookie team will compete with a team of second-year players including Josh Giddey, Jalen Green, and Josh Mobley.

Smith, who was drafted No. 3 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, has averaged 11.9 points per game in 47 starts for the Rockets. As for Kessler, he is a threat at the basket by reeling in seven rebounds per game and averaging 7.7 points in 49 games for the Utah Jazz.

According to ESPN, there will be two teams of NBA G-League players as well. The semi-finals will play a game with a target score of 40, while the final game will be played with a target score of 25.

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Jabari Smith shares viral moment with Lebron James during Monday’s Rockets-Lakers game

Just how long has Lebron James played in the NBA? The former Auburn Tiger shared a piece of information that made “King James” feel old.

Lebron James has built an amazing career over a 20-year span in the NBA by winning multiple NBA championships and Most Valuable Player awards.

It seems as if nothing will slow down “King James”, but former Auburn Tiger [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] shared a moment with James that made the NBA great feel his age.

In a viral moment between James and Smith during Monday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Smith shared a piece of trivia that puts a measuring stick on how long James has been a professional player.

“You played against my dad in your first NBA game ever,” Smith said to James during a dead ball period.

“Why did you do that to me?” James responded in a joking manner to which Smith responded with “you feel old, don’t you?”

Smith’s father, Jabari Smith Sr., played three NBA seasons, two of which were for the Sacremento Kings. Smith Sr. was on the Kings’ roster during James’ debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 30, 2003, but did not record a stat in the game.

The Lakers would go on to defeat the Rockets, 140-132 on Monday. In the loss, Smith scored 14 points and recorded four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes of action.

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