Rockets GM Rafael Stone sees unusual ‘character strength’ in Jabari Smith Jr.

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Sep 10, 2025 - 05:30
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Rockets GM Rafael Stone sees unusual ‘character strength’ in Jabari Smith Jr.

With a contract that now runs through the 2029-30 NBA season, Jabari Smith Jr. is currently committed to the Houston Rockets longer than any other player.

Beyond the merits of his play, which brings considerable value both offensively and defensively, there are also intangible factors that make the team comfortable with that level of commitment.

Just listen to Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, who spoke Tuesday with Adam Clanton and Adam Wexler of flagship radio station SportsTalk 790.

Regarding Smith, Stone told “The A-Team”:

Jabari is a driven guy. When you draft guys, you have no idea what they’re going to be like (as people). But I was really impressed his rookie season because it was really challenging, not just for him, but for the team. And the thing I loved about him that I discovered as a rookie was he just doesn’t make excuses. He just takes it on the chin. And it’s unusual, not just in sports or the NBA, it’s unusual in life.

How many of us make a bad play and don’t look around? With Jabari, it’s a character strength, and it’s a really cool thing. He’s been like that since we got him. He came to us with that, so it’s not something that we instilled in him. But I’m very fond of it and I admire it, and I think it’s going to really help him become the player that we want him to become and he wants to become.

Smith’s rookie season (2022-23) in Houston finished with a 22-60 record, tied for last in the Western Conference. Once the year ended, the Rockets and head coach Stephen Silas parted ways.

But under a new head coach in Ime Udoka, Houston has improved from No. 15 in the West to No. 11 (41-41) and No. 2 (52-30) over the past two seasons, respectively.

While Smith’s development is far from the only reason for that growth, the Auburn product has clearly made an impact with floor spacing, versatile defense, and a team-first mentality. And that’s quickly made him a favorite inside the organization.

Stone continued his comments:

When it doesn’t go the way he wants, he’s very hard on himself, and he’s very self-critical. But by being that way, he’s able to actually address the issue. He’s like, ‘I’ve got to figure out a way to be better,’ and he has gotten better every year.

Again, this is a life thing. We notice when people at a finite moment in time, but that improvement almost never happens at that finite moment. What happens is you steadily get better, day after day for months and years, and then people take notice at some random point. The people who are really successful embrace the grind, and they don’t need people externally saying, ‘Oh, you’ve gotten so much better.’

They’re driven to get better themselves. And I do think that’s the type of person Jabari is.

To Stone’s point, during the 2024 NBA Finals, Smith spoke with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum about how to deal with falling short of early career expectations.

While Smith is already a good NBA player, being drafted high as he was (No. 3 overall in the 2022 first round) can sometimes lead to expectations of stardom. And at least to this point, that type of breakout hasn’t happened. For his career, he’s averaging about 13 points and 8 rebounds per game while shooting just below 45% overall and 35% on 3-pointers.

But at just 22 years old, there’s still plenty of time left for further development to occur — and Smith isn’t running from any past shortcomings. Instead, he’s openly acknowledging and attempting to learn from them.

At 6-foot-10 and with projections of elite shooting and defensive versatility, the talent is certainly there for Smith to further develop. And by all indications, the requisite work ethic and humility are there, as well.

More: 2025-26 NBA Most Improved Player: Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. draws early prediction

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets GM Rafael Stone lauds ‘character strength’ of Jabari Smith Jr.

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