Yahoo Sports

Playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game is one of the highest honors in high school basketball and the starting point for most future NBA players. Scouts and front office executives line the gym at practice, attend the scrimmage and the All-American Game during a five-day span. For most, it’s the first time seeing the next wave of talent coming up, and the players always want to make a good first impression. “I was just trying to block the NBA scouts out because I feel like if I start thinking about them being there, it’s going to be kind of nerve-racking,” Nick Smith Jr. told Yahoo Sports. “I just try to think of it as they’re just fans watching and obviously they know the game of basketball well, and I just want to show them the real me on the court.”