Kersey resident Jordan Dunn, 14, held a boat-sized, black-and-red 76ers shoe, a special gift from his idol, Philadelphia rookie Jason Smith.
The 7-foot forward sought out his biggest fan in a crowd taking up two sections of the Pepsi Center on Sunday night. His fans from Colorado State and his hometown of Kersey erupted in a standing ovation when Smith came out for a personal audience long after the Nuggets’ 109-96 victory.
He seemed startled to see the size of his fan club, about 1,000, for the 76ers’ only game in Denver this season.
“I don’t know how to thank you all,” Smith said, taking a microphone and fielding questions.
“Do I miss Colorado? I miss it a ton,” the former CSU star said. “The difference between Kersey and Philadelphia? In Philadelphia I live on the 38th story of a high-rise. In Kersey we live in a two-story home and I lived in the basement.”
Applause went up when Smith first reported to the scorer’s table with 3:22 left in the first quarter. He went in at the 2:40 mark and quickly blocked Nene’s shot. The Nuggets forward returned the favor on Smith’s only attempted shot of the first half.
By 7:46 of the second quarter, Smith picked up his third foul and returned to the 76ers’ bench. When he returned in the third quarter, he finally looked to score, getting a quick stuff and two midrange jumpers.
“I went out and got a good block on Nene. I just tried to compete as hard as I could,” said Smith, who finished with six points and two rebounds in just less than 13 minutes.
Another former area standout, Monarch High School and Colorado 14ers product Louis Amundson, played late.
Smith’s only downside to the weekend besides the loss and lack of time to spend with family was a reminder from Amundson, a UNLV alum.
“He let me know UNLV beat CSU,” Smith said.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
