Za’Darius Smith may be trying to force history into repeating itself.
Ahead of his first game with the Detroit Lions, Smith pulled up to Ford Field rocking a Rasheed Wallace jersey. Wallace, of course, was acquired by the Pistons midseason ahead of their run to a win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals.
The Lions added Smith to the roster via trade earlier this month, agreeing to a deal with the Browns that sent a 2025 fifth-rounder and a 2025 sixth-rounder to Cleveland in exchange for the three-time Pro Bowler and a 2026 seventh-rounder.
Oh let’s goooooo@DetroitPistons @zadariussmith pic.twitter.com/j5Le6NX1eX
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 17, 2024
Smith hopes to give the Lions, who are down Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, among other key contributors along the defensive front, some extra pass rush in the season’s second half. Despite being on the roster for a Week 10 matchup with the Houston Texans, head coach Dan Campbell opted to give Smith the game off in an effort to keep him fresh, setting up his Lions debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars.