BIG BROTHER’
Columbia guard goes from fan to protege for NBA star Jimmy Butler
THE SCENE was typical.
When Jimmy Butler entered the Chicago-area gym, the then-Bulls star was surrounded by several high school players who likely would have surrendered years from their life to have his life. Selfie requests predictably followed; each teenager eager to document, and share, the moment they briefly met one of the NBA’s top players.
When Mike Smith approached, a fleeting brush with celebrity didn’t seem that rewarding. He wanted — and brazenly asked for — much more.
“I just went up to him — usually, I never would do it — but I asked if I could work out with him,” Smith said. “He said, ‘Yes, as long as it’s not against the rules.’ I said, ‘I don’t think it is. You’re not paying for anything. I’ll drive my own car to go work out with you.’
“I [didn’t] want to be that kid, like, ‘ Oh my God, it’s Jimmy Butler.’ I was a big Bulls fan growing up, but I really wasn’t starstruck. … What’s the worst-case scenario? You don’t know unless you try.”
Almost immediately, the high school star began training with the three-time NBA All- Star. A mentorship soon doubled as friendship.
Butler attended Smith’s high school games. The pair texted and talked, and grew close enough over the next year the 28-year-old Olympian invited Smith to stay, and train, at his home in Calabasas, Calif., this past summer.
Butler, a 6-foot-8 forward, was preparing for his first season with the Timberwolves. Smith, a 5-foot11 guard, was preparing for his sophomore season at Columbia, spending three-a-day workout sessions sparring with one of the best all-around players in the world.
“He guarded me, and I had to guard him, and it was like the toughest thing,” Smith said. “They say he’s the best two-way player in the game, or one of the best two-way players in the game, and that’s definitely accurate. Having to go against him full court, how tall he is and how quick he is, I think that’s really helped. “It was just a great experience.” As always, summer sprinted by. There would be no more relaxed card games with Butler, or fantasy pickup games including Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Mike Conley. No longer would afternoons include unexpectedly dropping by Mark Wahlberg’s house, or would evenings be spent eating in Malibu, overlooking the Pacific.
It was time for Smith to return to campus, to class, to dining halls.
As a sophomore, he knew what to expect — and his coach, Jim Engles didn’t want it to be a letdown.
“My concern was, when he got back, I pulled him aside outside the gym, and I go, ‘Dude, you realize you’re back in college. I don’t want to hear anything we’re supposed to be doing because they do it in the NBA,’ ” Engles, columbia’s second-year coachm said. “He laughed, and he said, ‘No, I got you. I understand.’
“I think it’s great for him. Mike has very high standards for himself and the fact that he could spend time with someone who is so successful in his craft, he gets a chance to see how he interacts with people and goes about his business. It’d be like me going to hang out with John Wooden for a month. It’s priceless. It’s an unbelievable situation for him.”
After leading the team in minutes (31.4) and assists (3.5) in his first season, Smith now leads the Ivy League in assists (4.7) and minutes (36.7), while ranking third in scoring (19.5) — recording double-digit points in 21 straight games — and fourth in steals (1.55).
After games, a text from Butler usually will be waiting for him.
“He’s like a big brother,” Smith said. “He’ll tell me not to dwell on any games, to move on the next one, to keep getting better. He’s been through college. He’s been through everything.”
Smith hopes he’ll be able to relate one day. He already has a head start.
“I thought he became really the key to our team last year,” Engles said. “He’s a really talented kid and he really came back ready to go. He’s always very positive, always got a smile on his face, but he’s very competitive.
“He’s really got a bright future. I don’t think we even know how good he can be yet.”