Before they head off to SEC Rivals Arkansas and Alabama respectively, Bradley Beal Elite alum Nick Smith Jr. and Brandon Miller got in one more game as teammates, and fittingly considering the Jumpman threads they donned while with BBE, that game was the annual Jordan Brand Classic.

The Jordan Brand Classic, now in its 21st season, annually features 22 of the Top 100 high school senior hoopers in the nation on both the boys and girls sides. The games were actually played in 2022 for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As one of Jordan Brand’s most high-profile NBA stars, Bradley Beal was in attendance at the game and got a front row seat to watch Nick, Brandon and the best of the rest on the boys and girls teams.

Brad himself participated in the Jordan Brand Classic back in 2011 and joined Paul Biancardi and Jason Ross Jr. on the broadcast during the game to drop some pearls of wisdom on the next generation.

“Just the transition of how much the game has grown, from when I played. These guys are super talented, way more athletic, faster, stronger. So just to see the evolution of the game is magnificent,” Brad said. “This is one of the most talented groups I’ve seen. It’s very surreal to see this talent level and this skillset. A lot of these guys have NBA ready bodies. My biggest message is don’t skip steps. Enjoy every moment of being out here with your peers. Enjoy college for however long you’re there. Enjoy the moment and continue to grow.”

Brad had full embraced being involved being involved with grassroots basketball through BBE and noted the importance of that as he looks forward to playing against more and more BBE alums at the NBA level in the coming years.

“When I got to the league, I vowed to myself that I was going to make the transition of guys involved in grassroots smoother in terms of getting to college and getting into the league,” Brad said. “They’re the future. I’m playing my game, going into Year 11 next year and before you know it, I’m playing against a lot of my kids I’ve coached already and now I have two kids in this game, Nick Smith and Brandon Miller, who probably I could be playing against in another year-and-a-half.”

The duo of Nick and Brandon was paired together on Team Flight against Team Air, and although Team Air pulled out the victory, both Brandon and Nick played well.

In fact, Nick, who was recently written up by SLAM Magazine was named one of the game’s most valuable players after a 27-point performance.

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