Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry says he still calls Denver Nuggets journeyman Ish Smith his rookie (played together with the Houston Rockets in 2010-11 before Smith got dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies at the trade deadline).
(via House of Highlights):
Pat Graham: “I know that you crossed paths briefly with Ish Smith a long time ago, but can you kinda appreciate his journey a little bit, thirteen teams, all that stuff? As a veteran can you appreciate what he’s been through?
Lowry: “Yeah, I was with him when he started. Ish to this day is one of my guys that I still call my rook. I appreciate it because he’s a guy who persevered, wasn’t the greatest shooter, wasn’t the greatest this, but he just found a way to find a niche in this league and find a niche on every single team he’s been on and to be a great veteran, a great veteran presence, a great positive vibe for every team he’s played for. Thirteen teams is a lot of teams, but obviously he’s done his job and he’s still in the NBA, and he’s on a team right now that’s in the Finals. So he’s done something correct, and I’m just proud to have a guy like that say he was under my wing for a little bit.”
