I was really just coming here because it was my dream. "But when I first got here, I didn't really understand how good I was. "I knew it was always gonna be a hard road," he said. Steve was a two-time All-America selection Davis hopes to become part of the regular playing rotation before he graduates. Steve averaged more than 17 points per game three times Davis has yet to score a point in 18 games in reserve duty the past two seasons. To this point, Davis' college career couldn't be more different than his father's. "But I'm super proud of him." Younger Smith finding his place "I told him, 'You're going to have more challenges than most - different challenges than most kids here at this university - because of my name,' " Steve said. RELATED: Q&A: Steve Smith on Michigan State memories, NIL and the future of Spartan basketballĪfter he decided to join the Spartans as a walk-on, his father imparted words of advice. "I think there were a lot of times where it would hit me pretty hard, but it got to a point where I was just like, 'I've got to use this to my advantage.'" "Nothing was given to me when I came here. When he enrolled at Michigan State, his name carried weight - everywhere except the court, that is, where he had to face more highly regarded, scholarship players each and every practice. Davis didn't dispute at times, the delight others took in going at him - ceaselessly - was "depressing." Especially given the preconceived notions surrounding the children of well-known athletes. Show up Steve Smith's son, so they thought, and it only will show how talented I am. He recalled competing at AAU tournaments where he constantly was singled out by the opposing team. And yes, the Smiths are financially set.īut between the lines of the hardwood, Davis said his background was more hindrance than benefit. One-on-one matchups with his father, giving pointers along the way. Mingling with NBA superstars of the past and present. Growing up the son of a famous athlete - an NBA champion, an NBA All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist - meant the younger Smith was afforded opportunities other kids only could dream of. In those 31 days, Davis acquired a greater appreciation for what he already knew: Leaving home is hard.
After a month of soul searching, Davis withdrew Monday, announcing his intention to return to MSU for his junior season. He put his name into the transfer database April 1. "I expected people to make it a big deal." "I figured people would take it pretty hard just considering I'm a legacy and this is my home," Davis said Thursday. Yet knowing those types of hypotheticals would be bandied about among a segment of the fan base, Davis entered the portal, anyway.
Why would he want to depart the only college he's ever known? What does it say about the state of the program that a legacy would ponder that better opportunities existed outside of East Lansing? That the younger Smith even would entertain the thought of leaving his father's alma mater - even as a player who joined the program as a walk-on before going on scholarship - is red meat for message board fodder. His father is Steve Smith, one of the greatest players in Michigan State basketball's illustrious history. It had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with his last name, and his university. EAST LANSING – The instant his name surfaced in the transfer portal, Davis Smith knew it would be ascribed far greater meaning than necessary.
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