Zhaire Smith lost 60 pounds, needed feeding tube to recover from allergic reaction to Thai chicken
Can you talk about the food allergy you had in Philadelphia? I heard it got so bad it was life threatening. Zhaire Smith: Yes, it was Thai chicken. I ate that and the first symptoms started where my lips started swelling, so I drove home to try to heal. I started to brush my teeth and I was okay for about 10 minutes, then I started catching hives. Then once that happened, I called somebody to come to try to give me Benadryl. Once I took Benadryl my toes started swelling and I called 911. Everything on my body felt like I was on fire. So 911 came, and I was just in the back of the van and was in the hospital for about a month and a half. Lost about 60 pounds, and my body was deteriorating so I really had to start from scratch on a feeding tube and wires all throughout my body. It was a tough situation to go through, but it made me stronger.
Source: Sam Yip @ HoopsHype
Source: Sam Yip @ HoopsHype
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Zhaire Smith’s food allergy story is harrowing
nbcsports.com/nba/news/zhair… – 7:01 PM
Zhaire Smith’s food allergy story is harrowing
nbcsports.com/nba/news/zhair… – 7:01 PM
Sam Yip @samyip__
For @hoopshype, I talked with Zhaire Smith ahead of training camp about getting back to the NBA, his life-threatening ordeal during his rookie year, and more hoopshype.com/lists/zhaire-s… – 5:51 PM
For @hoopshype, I talked with Zhaire Smith ahead of training camp about getting back to the NBA, his life-threatening ordeal during his rookie year, and more hoopshype.com/lists/zhaire-s… – 5:51 PM
More on this storyline
After going through a difficult and unfortunate situation like that, I’m sure it really changed your perception of how you looked at life. What was that like? Zhaire Smith: Most definitely, it did. Even just enjoying the sunlight, because I was inside of a hospital literally for a month and a half with no sunlight or nothing. And then of course the game was taken away from me, so now I cherish every moment. I remember when I was at the hospital room and I remember where I was out the league. Trying to be able to play two years ago, and now trying to get back in the league. -via HoopsHype / October 7, 2023
Over the years with you trying to get back into game shape and back into the league, which players or people have given you encouragement? Zhaire Smith: Really nobody. During the hospital, of course a couple Sixer teammates texted me. Markelle Fultz, Brett Brown, and some of the other teammates like [Norvel] Pelle, [Joel] Embiid, they reached out, but that’s about it from what I can remember. Over the years, Tyler Lashbrook. He and me be keeping in contact. -via HoopsHype / October 7, 2023
Michael Scotto: The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Zhaire Smith, agent Adie von Gontard of @YMAPAAsports told @hoopshype. Smith was the No. 16 overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft. -via Twitter @MikeAScotto / September 15, 2023