Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith has had a successful career as a former NBA player and current TV personality. Smith played college basketball at North Carolina where he entered his freshman season as Michael Jordan entered his junior year. Smith played for 10 seasons in the NBA from 1987 to 1997, and won two championships with the Houston Rockets. Currently he’s an NBA analyst for the ‘All-Star’ TNT crew also featuring Shaquille O’neal, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson Jr. It’s clear to see that Smith has an impressive resume regarding the game of basketball, and has also played with the highest level of talent. This is exactly why the NBL, an Australian based professional league, made a big move bringing on Smith.
Smith will become a part owner of an NBL expansion team along with being named the head of the North America Division for the ‘Next Stars’ program.
NBA Legend And Analyst Joins NBL Next Stars Program
What Is The NBL?
The National Basketball League in Australia was created in 1979. After continuous development and progress, the NBL became one of the premier basketball leagues worldwide.
In 2018-19, the NBL created the ‘Next Stars’ program. The program was created as a player development initiative specifically for young athletes preparing to enter the NBA draft. These players would be able to play for a year (or more if needed) at a professional level before declaring for the draft.
The NBL’s program boasts that they’ve seen eight players drafted since their inception, with three being lottery picks. The NBL is hoping Smith will be able to increase this number astronomically. Lamelo Ball is currently their most famous being he’s a franchise player and was the third overall pick in 2020. They’ve also produced successful NBA players Josh Giddey, Ousmane Dieng, and RJ Hampton.
Currently, the NBL looks to have another fruitful draft class coming up in 2024. Their feature player is of course Alex Sarr, who’s in contention to be the number one overall selection. The seven-foot-one athletic Frenchman chose the NBL for his last year before becoming draft eligible. He averaged 9.4 points and 1.5 blocks per game for the Perth Wildcats this season. The NBL should also see Bobi Klintman drafted in the late first round. Klintman played his freshman season at Wake Forest University before going to the NBL where he’s solidified his draft status.
NBL Looks To New Heights With ‘The Jet’ Smith
As seen, the NBL has been on an upwards trajectory in terms of developing NBA talent. Adding Smith to the NBL’s Next Stars initiative should only help to propel them to even greater heights. Not only is Smith well connected in NBA circles, he’s no foreigner to young high school talent either. Smith helped to start up the ‘Aim High’ program that earned their way onto the Nike EYBL circuit. This is a prestigious high school summer league that features the top talent in the country and the biggest recruits.
With Smith now having a vested interest in finding top talent for the NBL, it’s a big splash for the Australian league. This is especially true in light of the G-league Ignite program’s termination. The Ignite program was arguably the most successful alternative pathway to the NBA draft. They produced multiple lottery and top five talents such as Jalen Green, Scoot Henderson, Dyson Daniels, and Jonathan Kuminga. They also will likely have two top 10 picks in the 2024 draft in Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland.
However, with their termination and the NBL’s addition of Smith, they may be poised to take over the ‘alternative pathway’ market. Smith also spoke on his thoughts about the NBL and his future role with the league.
“I’ve always advocated for kids going to college to play basketball, but there is a new generation that exists today. I think you become a pro faster when you have a chance to play in an environment like the NBL.”
The NBL believes that they will be able to recruit pros and increase growth faster with ‘The Jet’ on board. NBL owner Larry Kestelman certainly agrees with this sentiment. Kestelman stated, “We are extremely proud of our Next Stars program and what it has achieved, but this is just the beginning. We are quickly becoming the most legitimate, and best pathway to the NBA.”
Only time will tell if this statement rings true, but the addition of Smith has them well on their way.
