BIG3 Basketball opened their 2020 season at Little Caesars Arena (LCA) to a crowd of cheers. That is until Josh Smith touched the court.
The former Detroit Piston, who plays for Bivouac, was ejected after following an on-court altercation with Royce White, who plays for the Enemies. It capped off a hostile night for Smith, as the crowd booed him from the start of the third game until his departure.
This marks the second time that players have been ejected in BIG3 games at the LCA, as Nate Robinson and Metta World Peace were ejected in separate games last season.
Fond Memories?
Smith’s time as a member of the Detroit Piston does not bring fond memories for many fans. In 2013, he signed a four-year deal with Detroit at $54 million. At the time, Smith was looked at as a player who could help turn around the struggling franchise. However, in 105 career games with the Pistons, Smith averaged 15.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Due to his underwhelming performance and rumored chemistry issues, the Pistons waived him on December 22nd, 2014.
The Pistons, who are currently struggling with cap room issues, are still paying Smith $5.3 million until the end of next season due to the stretch provision they used to waive him.
Since leaving Detroit, Smith has been quite a journeyman, as he has played for several NBA and international teams. His last NBA stint was in 2017 with the New Orleans Pelicans, where only appeared in three games of action. The Pelicans waived him in less than two weeks with the team.
While Smith did not have a great night, his Bivouac teammate and former Pistons teammate Will Bynum saw different fortune. Bynum scored 22 points and led Bivouac to 50-43 victory over Enemies.
BIG3 will resume play later today at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Tip-off is a 1 P.M.
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