Like other former Draft first rounds, Zhaire Smith has disappeared from the radar and at 24 years old, he has been trying for a week to find a place in the Cavaliers squad. Selected in 16th position by the Suns in 2018, he was traded to the Sixers for… Mikal Bridges. Unfortunately for him, a broken foot and a food allergy hampered his rookie season to the point of only playing… eight matches!
The next season? Only seven matches, then the exchanges followed with transfers to Detroit then Memphis. Each time the former Texas Tech guard is cut, and so he finds himself accepting a simple invitation to the Cavaliers camp, with the hope of landing a “two-way contract”.
The guilty ? Thai chicken
For Hoopshype, Smith recounted this food allergy which plagued his rookie season. To the point of making him lose… 27 kilos!
“It was Thai chicken. I ate some and the first symptoms appeared when my lips started to swell” says Smith, who is allergic to peanuts and sesame. “I went home to try to heal. I started brushing my teeth and everything was fine for about ten minutes, then I started breaking out in hives. So I called someone to come and give me some Benadryl. »
The medicine is not working! “My toes started to swell and I called 911. My whole body felt like it was on fire. Help arrived and I ended up in the back of the van and spent a month and a half in the hospital. I lost around thirty kilos and my body deteriorated. So much so that I had to start from scratch with a feeding tube and tubes all over my body. It was a difficult situation to go through, but it made me stronger. »
The simple joy of seeing the sunlight…
Smith then recounts his slow convalescence, and his attempt to return to the forefront. He admits that when you fall this low, it’s the little joys of everyday life that keep you going.
“Even just enjoying the sunlight” he concludes. “Because I spent a month and a half in the hospital, no sun or anything. And then, of course, basketball had been taken away from me, so now I cherish every moment. I remember when I was in the hospital room and I remember where I was in the league. I tried to play two years ago, and now I’m trying to get back into the league. »
