CHARLOTTE -- Harrison Barnes, a proud North Carolina Tar Heel, was like a forgotten man on the Mavericks’ only regular-season visit to this basketball crazy state. All he needed was three paltry tickets.
Josh McRoberts? The former Duke standout got no requests for interviews.
Welcome to the Dennis Smith Jr. homecoming.
The Mavericks’ rookie might not be a rock star in his home state. More like a rap star, given his friendship with rapper J. Cole, who like Smith grew up in Fayetteville, about a three-hour drive from Charlotte.
The musician normally would have been hanging with Smith and his family on a trip back to Carolina, but mitigating circumstances prohibited it, Smith said.