One of the premier former Auburn Tigers in the NBA, forward Jabari Smith Jr., suffered an unfortunate setback in his third professional season last week. The star forward broke his left hand during a team shootaround on Saturday,

Smith fractured his left, non-shooting hand at shootaround before the Boston game and it will require surgery, coach Ime Udoka told reporters. How long he will be out will depend upon the surgery. Udoka said Smith would miss 4-6 weeks, but it could be a couple of weeks longer, depending upon the situation.

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka announced Smith’s hand injury before Friday’s home contest against the Boston Celtics. Udoka said Smith broke his left hand during shootaround Friday morning, and the 2022 lottery pick will now undergo surgery before being reevaluated in 4-to-6 weeks.