Smith eyes NBL with NBL1 move

Former G-League player and Overtime Elite forward Jai Smith says that his move to Australia will be the next major step in his progression. 

The highly touted prospect has decided to come to Australia in the NBL1 East for the 2024 season after seeing the success of the NBL’s Next Stars program. 

With the likes of other American prospects in LaMelo Ball and R.J Hampton making the leap to the NBA, Smith believes Australia can be a springboard for his career.

The Newcastle Falcons signing explained that he’s been watching basketball all his life, so he’s been exposed to many different leagues and players across the world – making the move to play in Australia easier. With his agent being from Melbourne, it seemed the perfect fit to progress his career to the next stage. 

“I've heard about the NBL before, growing up as a kid playing basketball,” he said.

“Certain (Australian) kids coming over to play colleges, and pros playing NBL. LaMelo Ball, R.J. Hampton, players like that. With my agent having that connection… [It] helped me really make the decision and getting to know and be familiar with that league.” 

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His biggest connection to Australia is former teammate and projected number-one pick, Alex Sarr. The pair were teammates at Overtime Elite and Smith said playing with a talent like Sarr helped him develop as a playmaker. 

The main reason he’s signed with the Falcons is to focus on his development, prioritising his game and his progression to set himself up for his career. 

“I want to showcase and I just want to get better every day,” Smith explained. 

“I don't want to compare myself to anybody else, I want to stay in my own lane and move at my own pace and just be the best player I can be at the end of the day.

“My goals and expectations are to win. I want to win. And I just want to really be the best teammate and player I can be on and off the court. I want to be able to lead, be a leader. Even though I'm young, I still want to be a leader off the court.” 

Smith explained that Newcastle appealed to him for its natural beauty and the club’s rich history. The New York native said that he’s excited to visit the beach and play in front of the Newcastle faithful. 

“I’ve heard really good things about Newcastle culture, I heard it’s a winning tradition and very professional,” he said.

“[They] have one of the biggest, if not the biggest fan bases in the entire conference and games are packed out, that’s a really good environment to play in.” 

The 6’7” 20-year-old explained that his athleticism will be the thing to watch, telling Newcastle fans there will be “a lot of dunks”. 

“Be ready for a lot of dunks. I will say that, a lot of dunks. I'll try to get some things up here and there,” Smith said.

“But be ready for a lot of dunks and a lot of excitement. It's going to be really exciting to see us play, and we're just going to bring it man.

"I'm a good teammate, I would like to push guys, you know what I'm saying? I'm going to push them to be the best we can. So we definitely want to win. So it's about winning, I just want to win.”