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Russ Story Time

Louisville Athletics @GoCards

Russ Being 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀: 12.04.12 "That's just great instinct. That's just being a baller, man." Talking favorite @Specter_Smit moments with Darrell Griffith & @KKcards. #GoCards

The first chance I got to spend time with Russ Smith, he was shopping for Christmas gifts with a 7-year-old named Camari as part of Louisville men’s basketball’s annual shopping drive. The Courier-Journal’s beat writer at the time, I walked around with them to get some color for a short news story about the evening. About halfway through his shopping spree, Camari grabbed World War Z — a Brad Pitt movie about a pandemic that turned infected people into flesh-eating zombies — and popped it into the cart. Russ commented that it was a great movie, but he and I agreed that Camari probably shouldn’t enjoy World War Z until he was a tad older, maybe in like ninth grade instead of first. But, as Camari put the DVD back, Russ said with a very serious face, “You should really watch it someday, though.”

In every interaction I’ve ever had with Russ, he is so many things at once — playful, quick to laugh, sharp as a tack, reflective, creative. He was the player to coax Rick Pitino to lighten up just a tad, once credited by many in Pitino’s circle as the reason the coach continued working. He was the huge smile behind the stack of waffles on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He also recorded a rap album, started a bourbon brand and dabbled in fashion … in addition to, you know, a basketball career that included a national championship, a Final Four, multiple league titles, consensus All-American status and a number of other awards and achievements at the college and pro level. This city loves a long shot, an underdog who works their butt off to overcome odds. Russ resonates here, I think, because he embraced that mentality — he outworked a lot of people, he earned every step and repaid that love with love. He was relentless and unquestionably himself the whole way, and all he needed was a place that embraced him. Louisville and Russ Smith were a perfect match.

On Saturday, he deservedly joins four other Louisville greats in having his jersey number retired. Smith’s famous No. 2 will join Charlie Tyra’s No. 8, Wes Unseld’s No. 31, Darrell Griffith’s No. 35 and Pervis Ellison’s No. 42 in the rafters and Louisville hoops history.

To celebrate Smith’s great honor, I’m devoting the top of this week’s newsletter to some of my favorite Russ stories from my one year covering him at U of L and many years since then interviewing him and writing about his professional career and other endeavors.

My all-time favorite moment for laughs was Russ after the famous SMU win. Former president George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush were there. Tony Romo was there. Big, big night in Dallas. Russ got 22 of his 26 points in the second half and Louisville pulled away from a good Larry Brown-coached SMU. But Russ also yakked in the trash can at the end of the team bench in the second half, later telling me he held his puke in for two or three minutes while playing. He was confused why he threw up after having a “normal breakfast” and gameday meal. When we asked what that specifically entailed, he named a litany of items that would make Kevin McCallister blush. Totally normal. (Turns out he has a stomach of steel.)

After a particularly strong performance at home, Terry Rozier said a pep talk and hangout with Russ the night before motivated him. What, exactly, did they do? “He invited me over to watch Mortal Kombat” … until 3 a.m.

There is, of course, the 60th birthday “present” he gave Pitino — a text message photo of Grey Goose and a video of two men jousting with samurai swords. Not sure why but that is absolutely hilarious. He also wore Cookie Monster PJs to team film sessions and a Ritz-Carlton robe to a team meeting on the road.

Just after he’d moved on to the pros, Russ and I got lunch. I’d heard all the stories about Pitino’s famous staredowns in practice, the fear of the treadmill punishments, how no one wanted to be in the building the day after losses, etc. Well, Russ knew all of them and more, and he’d certainly experienced them himself, but ultimately decided that there had to be more to Pitino than that. So, he just started popping into his coach’s office, like Elaine swinging by Jerry’s place. Just to say what’s up to a Hall of Famer. How’re you doing? What’d you think about issue X or news event Y? After a week or so of visits, Pitino caught on and told him he could stop at any time. Of course, Russ persisted. No other former player, Reece Gaines said recently, lights up Pitino’s face like Russ.

But there were also so many moments of vulnerability. I’ll never forget the genuine pain and frustration in his voice talking to us after going 47th in the NBA Draft. He took responsibility for the gut-punch of a loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 and delivered some famously empathetic, heartfelt words — his voice cracked in the locker room during interviews. After a long chat with him in 2014 at the practice facility, he and I parted ways because he had practice. He knew I had more questions — the conversation ended abruptly — so he got my cellphone number and called back later that day. Very few people do that in general, let alone with reporters.

I’ve enjoyed learning about and writing about so many athletes over my 13 years doing this, from Donovan Mitchell and Damion Lee to Anas Mahmoud and Deng Adel. None of them — and I really liked those guys — was as magnetic as Russ. A must-watch player (1 on 5 is advantage Russ) and an enthralling figure. There will never be another like him, and after Saturday, he’ll always be No. 2 for Louisville.

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