Louisville coach takes shot at rival coaches over draft

June 23, 2023

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Kenny Payne smiles while introducing Nolan Smith during the former Duke assistant coach’s introductory press conference Monday afternoon on April 11, 2022. Photo Credit: Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Louisville assistant coach Nolan Smith is viewed as one of the top recruiters in the country, but the former Duke star says he will never use the NBA Draft as a tool to impress high school prospects.

Smith took a shot at rival coaches during the NBA Draft on Thursday night. He said he would never attend the event unless a “player personally invites me.” Smith criticized coaches who use the draft for photo opportunities to impress recruits.

I will never go to the draft as a coach unless my player personally invites me and says Coach.. I want you there! Draft night is about the player and his family!!! Its not a photo op for me to post on IG to help with recruiting.

— Nolan Smith (@NdotSmitty) June 23, 2023

“I will never go to the draft as a coach unless my player personally invites me and says Coach. I want you there! Draft night is about the player and his family!!! Its not a photo op for me to post on IG to help with recruiting,” Smith wrote.

While he did not mention names, we can probably guess who Smith was talking about. John Calipari always attends the NBA Draft with his players, so Smith may have been taking a shot at the Kentucky coach. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer was also at the draft with former Blue Devil Dereck Lively, who went 12th overall to the Dallas Mavericks.

Smith was an assistant at Duke for six seasons from 2016-2022 before he joined Kenny Payne’s staff with Louisville. Some felt Smith’s tweet during the draft came from a place of bitterness, but he shot that down.

I had only been an assistant for one year… why would I get that job? .. go to sleep fam!

— Nolan Smith (@NdotSmitty) June 23, 2023

Coaches definitely do use the draft as a recruiting tool, but in some cases their former players asked them to be there, as Smith mentioned. The 34-year-old will likely be a head coach some day, and fans won’t forget his take if he ever decides to attend an NBA Draft.