Emerging from the opposite locker room for the first time in his career, Josh Smith searched for familiar faces in the crowd before he met with the media in Atlanta, more than an hour before facing the Hawks for the first time.
He smiled at security guards and winked at Arthur Triche, former longtime media relations chief for the Hawks, who came as a visitor to Philips Arena. Smith even took a ribbing from Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks about Smith getting a haircut.
Smith was home, just in a different jersey for a different franchise, and he didn’t deny the eerie feeling.
“Kind of surreal,” Smith said. “I never knew what kind of feelings I’d have coming in here. I’m excited, ready to get the game going.”