The preposterous athleticism of Dallas Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. will be on full display at the NBA level next season, and one Under Armour executive probably thinks you should get your popcorn ready.
Kris Stone, Under Armour’s professional basketball sports marketing director, recently told a crazy story about the No. 9 overall pick, who just signed an endorsement deal with the company. As a high schooler two years ago, Smith attended Stephen Curry’s basketball camp and left even Curry, Under Armour’s crown jewel, dumbfounded by his vertical leap.
“The first time that I saw Dennis Smith at camp was when Stephen ran out of the gym after he tried to dunk on somebody,” said Stone, per Nick DePaula of ESPN. “Dennis got so high — his elbow was at the rim. It was unbelievable.
“That was my first time experiencing what Dennis can bring to the table in terms of explosiveness,” he said. “The reaction Stephen had was ridiculous. Stephen was coming off an MVP season and an NBA championship, and here he is, watching a high school kid own the moment and respecting it.”
The tale might not actually be all that surprising when you consider some of the other anecdotes we’ve heard about Smith’s athleticism. But that doesn’t make it any less impressive that he left even Chef Curry at a loss for words.
