Rockets' Smith Jr. Expands on Viral LeBron Moment

In his rookie season, Jabari Smith Jr. had a memorable interaction with LeBron James.

In his first career matchup with LeBron James, Jabari Smith Jr. did not seem starstruck. The Houston Rockets' then-rookie cooly walked up to James and announced that in 2003 James debuted against Smith Jr.'s dad, who was then with the Sacramento Kings.

While James' longevity has been a centerpiece of his media coverage the last several seasons, that was the moment when 'King' James realized just how long he'd been around, but it seems like he appreciated the recognition from the younger Smith.

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While the clip of Smith Jr. approaching James went viral across social media, the entire extent of the interaction was not made public. Before the Panini Rising Stars Challenge, Smith Jr. revealed the advice that James gave him.

"Told me to keep working, stick with it," said Smith Jr. "He told me I made him feel old, so just told me to keep working."

Smith Jr. has played six games against James in his short career, three more than his dad played. His dad amassed a 3-0 record over James between 2003-2005, despite being outscored 75-9 in those matchups. 

The younger Jabari has had more success than his father, averaging 13.7 points against James and 12.9 in his career. On Monday night, he and Victor Wembanyama fell to Team Detlef, made up of G-League talent, in the Rising Stars Challenge. 

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Despite James making a 21-year career look easy, any advice from him should be taken seriously, despite how simple it might seem. If Smith Jr. wants to have a career anywhere close to James', working hard will be the bare minimum.