Pulling for familiar face in Cleveland
I’ve decided to pull for the Cavaliers in the NBA Playoffs.
Now, wait just a minute. Before you find me guilty of first-degree bandwagon jumping, hear me out. This isn’t about LeBron James. This isn’t about the best team in basketball.
No, this is about for Joe Smith.
You remember Joe. The 13-year NBA veteran was one of the original members of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Spent much of the season here. Endeared himself to folks with his hustle and his smarts.
But then Smith and the Thunder reached an agreement for a buyout that allowed him to sign with another team and be eligible for the playoffs. Not long after, Smith signed with Cleveland, a team that reluctantly traded him away last summer.
Now, Smith is ever so close to winning an NBA championship.
And I couldn’t be happier for the guy. Smith seemed like one of the good guys in the NBA. He was often smiling and always quick with a hello. He never said no to an interview, and if Smith was that nice to the media, you can only guess what a good guy he was with his teammates.
Much like P.J. Brown when the Hornets first came to town, Smith was that solid, veteran presence that every locker room needs. And an extremely young team like the Thunder needed a guy like Smith even more.
Smith has been all around the NBA, playing for nine different teams. He’s been everywhere from Minnesota to Milwaukee, from Detroit to Denver. He’s been a mainstay. He’s been a reserve.
One thing he’s never been is an NBA champion.
Smith deserves to add that distinction to his resume. He isn’t a guy who goes around beating his chest, saying he deserves this or he is due that. He just goes about his business and takes what comes his way. Smith has always played the game the way it should be played. He plays hard. He does whatever needs to be done.
Here’s hoping he gets the ultimate reward for that work this year — the chance to hoist that NBA championship trophy.
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