Devin Smith
Devin Michael Smith ( born April 12, 1983 in New Castle, Delaware ) is an American professional basketball player. After studying in his native country was Smith a professional in Europe and played in Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece. Since 2011 he plays for the Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv series.
Career
After finishing school, Smith had to study at least one year at the Community College in Coffeyville, where already be a year older brother Steve studied. The college in Kansas is known among other things for having already trained nearly 50 American football players, the pros in the NFL were. Smith played with his brother Steve for the basketball team of Red Ravens in the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association ( NJCAA ). Smith was here for a special safe distance shooter from behind the three-point throws distinguished line and reached the final of the team NJCAA national finals. Here you suffered only the second loss of the season and lost with a point of difference against the Rebels of Dixie State College of Utah. After that one year, the " Freshman " had recommended for higher tasks and got a scholarship from the University of Virginia, while his brother Steve continued his studies at Iona College in New York State. Devin played at the University of Virginia for the Cavaliers basketball team, among others, along with the future Basketball Bundesliga player Elton Brown in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC ) of the NCAA. With the Cavaliers, whose basketball team had their most successful period in the 1980s with Ralph Sampson, however, Smith did not qualify for a finals tournament of the NCAA in the sequence.
After Smith was recommended for a contract in the most highly endowed professional league NBA in 2005, he began a career as a professional in the Spanish second division LEB Oro when Gipuzkoa BC in San Sebastián. With this club he reached fifth round as the main play-offs for promotion, in which they remained unbeaten and reached the championship game of the second class. After promotion to the top flight league ACB was gained, however, in the season 2006 /07, only eight of 34 games and climbed as Table again. For the following season 2007/ 08 Smith left Spain and moved to the first Italian Lega Basket Serie A, where he A.IR. Avellino from the Italian Cup 2008 competition won and was awarded " Most Valuable Player " ( MVP ) of the tournament trophy. As a third in the regular season they reached the best final placing in the top division for the club and was eliminated in the play-off semi-final series for the championship title.
In the 2008 / 09 season, Smith played in Türkiye Ligi Basketbol for the Turkish champions Fenerbahce Ulker from Istanbul. As a third in the main round they reached the finals series for the championship, in which one of the main round First Efes Pilsen Istanbul, who had previously suffered only two defeats in league and play-off games to kick off taught as defending two home defeats. Subsequently, however, lost the next four games of the series and could not defend the championship title. The most important European club competition ULEB Euro Cup 2008/ 09 would retire after just one win in the group stages of the second round of in the round of 16 best teams. In the 2009/10 season Smith then played in the Greek A1 Ethniki for Panellinios from Athens. The team reached the " Final Four " tournament, where the eventual champions Power Electronics Valencia was defeated in the semifinals and later of the game for third place in the Eurocup 2009/10. Smith himself was elected to the " 2009-10 All- Eurocup First Team ", the selection of the five best players of the competition. In the Greek Championship would retire as main round fourth in the play-off semi-final series against serial champions Panathinaikos Athens.
In the 2010/11 season Smith played back in Italy for Benetton Treviso. In Eurocup 2010/11 we suffered before the Final Four tournament only one defeat in group games, defeating, among others, the German representatives ALBA Berlin in the quarterfinals twice and the BG 74 Göttingen once after a draw in the first leg starting in Göttingen. At the final tournament of the best four teams in front of his home crowd, however, they lost in the semifinals Cajasol Seville and finished only fourth and last place after also lost the match for third place. Smith was again selected for the All - Eurocup First Team. In the Italian championship could defeat his former team from Avellino as main round fifth in the play-off quarter-final series, but bowed out clearly against series champion Montepaschi Siena. For the following season, Smith went on to become the series champion in Europe (in terms of member associations of FIBA Europe) par and played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, who had won 49 championships in Israel since 1954. With Maccabi Smith defended the Israeli championship and win the 50th championship title, the first for Smith personally. With Maccabi Smith also played back in the most important European club competition ULEB Euro League, where they lost in the play-off quarter-final series in the decisive fifth game against defending champions Panathinaikos Athens 2012 with just one point difference. A year later, would retire in the quarterfinal series against Real Madrid smooth in three games out. Previously, Smith was even voted best player of the month in March 2013 in the Euro League.