Who is Jabari Smith Jr.? How is the son of an ex-NBA player creating a buzz with his 3-pt shots with the Houston Rockets? All you need to know

To say Jabari Smith Jr. is hitting his stride would be an understatement. After a rough stretch that spanned from late October through the first half of November, the six-foot-eleven forward out of Auburn is thriving. Midway through last month, he erupted for 22 points in a narrow loss to the Golden State Warriors, marking the beginning of a hot streak for the third overall pick.

He kicked off the month of December by contributing in a major way during the Rockets' 122-121 upset win over the Phoenix Suns. It was a stellar performance that saw Smith Jr. continue a six-game stretch where he's nailed at least three 3-pointers. The streak currently has him sitting in second place all-time for most games with at least three 3-pointers.

Currently, Smith Jr. has put together quite a nice stretch for himself as he has quickly cemented himself as a potential contender for Rookie of the Year. Although players like Paolo Banchero and Bennedict Mathurin have remained at the top of the Rookie of the Year predictions, Smith Jr.'s recent play has made waves.

It's a great sign for a player who struggled early in the season with finding his rhythm after being sidelined with a non-covid-related illness. After returning to the floor, Jabari Smith Jr. averaged just 24.5% shooting from the field. At the time, he didn't seem too concerned about the slump, explaining to Rookie Wire that he wouldn't have it any other way.

“It has been good. I’ve got people around me — coaches, everybody helping me learn the league, learn the system and get my rhythm. It has been fun. It has been a struggle to start, but I wouldn’t want it no other way.”

Below you can see some of his highlights from the team's recent upset win over the Suns.

---

Jabari Smith Jr.'s father, Jabari Smith Sr.

Atlanta Hawks v Houston Rockets

Although Jabari Smith Jr. has been making waves in the NBA as of late, he isn't the first in his family to play professional basketball. His father, Jabari Smith Sr was drafted second round in the 2000 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. After a successful college career that saw him twice earn All-SEC honors during his time with LSU, Smith made the transition to the NBA.

(Suggested reading: Jayson Tatum destroys Udonis Haslem off the dribble)

After a lackluster first season with the Kings, Jabari Smith Jr. wound up spending a year with the Philadelphia 76ers before then playing internationally. In 2003, however, he rejoined the Kings before then spending the final year of his career with the Nets, who were based out of New Jersey at the time.

From there, he essentially found himself out of the league given his lack of production before going to play overseas. The family ties don't end there though, Smith is also related to Kwame Brown, who was the first overall pick in the 2001 draft.

Below you can see Smith Sr. putting up numbers against the LA Lakers from the 2004-05 season.

(Suggested reading: Charles Barkley recalls exchange with Kobe Bryant after criticizing Lakers star)