Kenny Smith

1.1. Childhood and Education

Smith was born on March 8, 1965. While most sources indicate his birthplace as Queens, New York City, Smith himself has stated he was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and raised in Queens, spending time in the LeFrak City neighborhood. He began playing basketball at New York's Riverside Church and at Stephen A. Halsey Junior High School in Rego Park, Queens. Smith attended Archbishop Molloy High School, where he played under coach Jack Curran, who holds the record for most wins by a high school coach in New York City and New York State history. In 1983, Smith was named a McDonald's All-American, a prestigious honor for high school basketball players. He credits Bobby Lewis, a former South Carolina State star, with his development as a shooter and ball-handler. Lewis, who averaged 30.9 points per game and was a First Team Division II All-American, developed the Bobby Lewis Basketball Skills Development Program. Smith attended Lewis's lectures in high school and continued to use his drills throughout his career, even teaching them at his own basketball camps. Smith regards Lewis as the "best lecturer ever" and the most influential person on his workout regimen.

1.2. College Basketball Career

Smith played college basketball for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels under renowned coach Dean Smith. In his freshman year (1983-84), he joined a North Carolina team that included future NBA legends Michael Jordan (junior) and Sam Perkins (senior). The team was ranked #1 preseason and finished the season with a 28-3 record, also ranked #1 nationally. Smith averaged 9.1 points and 5.0 assists per game, but the Tar Heels lost to Indiana in the regional semifinals of the 1984 NCAA tournament.

In the 1985 NCAA tournament, Smith led North Carolina to the Elite Eight, where they were defeated by eventual national champion Villanova. As a senior in 1987, he was named a Consensus All-American (1st Team), averaging 16.9 points and 6.1 assists per game. He once again helped North Carolina reach the Elite Eight, where they lost 79-75 to Syracuse in a game featuring eleven future NBA players; Smith led the Tar Heels with 25 points and seven assists.

Throughout his college career at North Carolina, Smith averaged 12.9 points and 6.0 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of .512 and a free throw percentage of .823. In the 1986-87 season, the first year the NCAA introduced the three-point field goal, Smith shot .408 from beyond the arc. As of 2016, he ranked second in school history in total assists (768), fourth in total steals (195), and fifth in assists per game. During his four years, North Carolina achieved an impressive record of 115-22, including two Elite Eight appearances (1985 and 1987) and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1986. They won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season championships in 1984 and 1987, and tied for first in 1985. The team never finished lower than eighth in the national polls during Smith's tenure.

Smith also represented the United States in the 1986 FIBA World Championship. This team was notable as the last to exclusively feature amateur American players, and included future NBA stars like David Robinson, Muggsy Bogues, and Steve Kerr. Smith was the second-leading scorer on the team, averaging 14.7 points per game behind Charles Smith. In the gold medal game, Smith scored 23 points to lead the U.S. to an 87-85 victory over the Soviet Union, a team that featured Arvydas Sabonis.

2.1. NBA Draft and Debut

The Sacramento Kings selected Kenny Smith with the sixth overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft. He made his NBA debut on November 6, 1987, in the Kings' season opener against the Golden State Warriors, scoring 11 points and dishing out five assists in a Sacramento victory. He immediately became a starter for the Kings. His first NBA head coach was Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who was fired 58 games into the 1987-88 season, subsequently stepping down to become the team's General Manager.

2.2. Sacramento Kings

Smith played for the Sacramento Kings from 1987 to 1990. In his rookie season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after averaging 13.8 points and 7.1 assists per game. In his second season (1988-89), starting all 81 games, he averaged 17.3 points, 7.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in 38.8 minutes per game. During his third season, Smith participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, reaching the finals. He earned high scores for originality with his signature dunk: starting with his back to the basket, bouncing the ball backward between his legs and off the backboard, then turning to grab it in the air for a reverse dunk. He narrowly lost the contest to Dominique Wilkins, who would become his teammate just days later.

2.3. Atlanta Hawks

Midway through the 1989-90 season, Smith was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Antoine Carr. This marked the first time in his career that he was primarily a reserve player, starting only five of the 30 games he played for the Hawks as a backup to team captain Doc Rivers. He averaged 7.7 points per game during his brief stint with the team.

2.4. Houston Rockets

Following the 1989-90 season, Smith, along with Roy Marble, was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for John Lucas and Tim McCormick. Smith's tenure with the Rockets, from 1990 to 1996, proved to be the most significant period of his playing career.

In the 1990-91 season, Smith averaged 17.7 points per game, leading the Rockets in assists per game (7.1) and free throw percentage (.844). Despite Hakeem Olajuwon missing 25 games due to injury, Smith helped the Rockets achieve a 52-30 record, which was the best regular season in franchise history at the time. He received votes for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award-more than any Rockets teammate, including Olajuwon-and finished third in the voting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award.

With Olajuwon, Smith's former Sacramento teammate Otis Thorpe, and fellow backcourt player Vernon Maxwell, the Rockets had a strong foundation for a championship contender. However, the 1991-92 season started with a mediocre 26-26 record, leading to the firing of coach Don Chaney, who was replaced by former Rockets player Rudy Tomjanovich. The team improved in the 1992-93 season, finishing with a 55-27 record, but lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the playoffs in seven games. Smith was instrumental in forcing a Game 7, scoring 30 points and shooting 4-for-6 from three-point range in a Game 6 victory for Houston.

Smith served as the starting point guard for the Rockets during their back-to-back NBA championships in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. From 1992-93 to 1994-95, he averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 assists per game, with an impressive three-point percentage of .425. In 57 playoff games during this period, Smith maintained similar averages of 11.6 points and 4.3 assists, shooting an even better .456 from three-point range.

The first championship season (1993-94) saw Houston start strong with a 22-1 record, culminating in a franchise-best 58-24 regular season record. The second championship (1994-95) followed a more challenging season; Maxwell left the team, and Thorpe was traded for Clyde Drexler. Houston finished the year with an 18-18 record in their final 36 games, ending up third in the Midwest Division with a 47-35 record. Despite this, they went on to win the championship, becoming the lowest-seeded playoff team to win the title, with what was statistically the most difficult path to the championship.

In Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic, Smith delivered a standout performance, scoring 23 points, dishing out 9 assists, and making seven three-pointers. This included a crucial game-tying shot that sent the game into overtime. Smith's seven three-pointers in that game set an NBA Finals record at the time. The Rockets won the game 120-118 and ultimately swept the Magic in four games.

Although Smith gradually began losing playing time to Sam Cassell, he remained the Rockets' starting point guard through the 1995-96 season. While his points, assists, steals, and minutes per game declined for the fifth consecutive season, he remained productive, averaging 8.5 points and 3.6 assists per game, shooting .382 from three-point range and .821 from the free throw line. The Rockets finished fifth in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record. They upset the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round before being swept by the eventual Finals runner-up Seattle SuperSonics in the second round. In Game 4 against the Lakers, Smith contributed 17 points, 6 assists, and was 4-for-4 from three-point range, helping the Rockets clinch the series 102-94. This game also marked the final NBA appearance for Magic Johnson, who had returned to the league that season after a five-year absence.

2.5. Detroit Pistons

On September 17, 1996, Smith signed with the Detroit Pistons. However, he saw minimal playing time behind Lindsey Hunter and Joe Dumars. After only nine games, he was waived by the team to create a roster spot for Jerome Williams.

2.6. Orlando Magic

Smith then signed with the Orlando Magic on December 18, 1996. His time with the Magic was brief, as he was released after playing just six games.

2.7. Denver Nuggets

In 1997, Smith signed with his third team of the 1996-97 season, the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 assists while playing just under 20 minutes per game, also serving as a mentor for the young Denver team. For the entire season across all three teams, Smith averaged 6.3 points and 2.4 assists per game, which were the lowest averages of his career. However, his three-point percentage of .437 (59/135) was the second-highest of his career, marking his fourth season shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc. He attended training camp with the New Jersey Nets in 1997 but did not make John Calipari's final roster and subsequently retired from professional basketball.

3.1. Career Statistics

Throughout his professional career, Kenny Smith scored 9,397 points, averaging 12.8 points per game. He recorded 4,073 assists, averaging 5.5 assists per game. His shooting percentages were .480 from the field, .399 from three-point range, and .829 from the free throw line.

He finished in the NBA top ten in three-point percentage three times (1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95) and in free throw percentage twice (1992-93 and 1993-94). In the 1988-89 season, Smith ranked fifth in the league in total minutes played, seventh in minutes per game, and tenth in total assists. As of 2010, his career three-point percentage of .399 ranked 42nd in NBA history. Through 2016, Smith held the Denver Nuggets franchise record for career three-point percentage (.425) and ranked among the all-time leaders in several categories for both the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets.

Legend for tables:

• Bold indicates career high.
• † indicates a season in which Smith won an NBA championship.
• GP: Games played
• GS: Games started
• MPG: Minutes per game
• FG%: Field goal percentage
• 3P%: 3-point field goal percentage
• FT%: Free throw percentage
• RPG: Rebounds per game
• APG: Assists per game
• SPG: Steals per game
• BPG: Blocks per game
• PPG: Points per game

3.2. Major Awards and Honors

Kenny Smith's playing career was highlighted by significant team and individual achievements:

• 2× NBA championship: 1994, 1995 (with Houston Rockets)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1988
• McDonald's All-American: 1983
• Consensus First-Team All-American: 1987
• NBA All-Star Weekend Shooting Stars Competition winner: 2010 (as part of the Texas team)
• 1986 FIBA World Championship Gold Medal (with USA national team)

4.1. Broadcasting and Commentary Career

Smith joined Turner Sports in early 1998, beginning his work as a studio analyst for the end of the NBA regular season and the playoffs. He is most widely recognized for his role on Inside the NBA on TNT, where he works alongside Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal. The show has won multiple Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Show, largely due to the chemistry and engaging personalities of its hosts. Smith also covered basketball for the 2001 Goodwill Games and occasionally appears as an analyst on NBA TV. From 2005 to 2008, he provided commentary for the MSG Network's broadcasts of New York Knicks games. Additionally, he works as an analyst for CBS/Turner during the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The New York Times has noted that Smith's work in broadcasting has made him a household name, significantly boosting his public celebrity beyond his playing career.

During the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, Smith was a member of the Texas team that won the NBA All-Star Weekend Shooting Stars Competition. In 2017, on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Smith controversially stated his belief that the 1994 Houston Rockets would have defeated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had they faced each other in the NBA Finals. In October 2022, Smith signed a long-term contract extension with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports to continue his role as a host on Inside the NBA.

4.2. Acting Career

Kenny Smith has also ventured into acting. He played the character Leon Rich in the 2022 film Hustle, which starred Adam Sandler and Juancho Hernangómez.