Steve Smith (basketball)
Steven Delano "Steve" Smith ( born March 31, 1969 in Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan ) is a retired American basketball player. He could play both shooting guard as well as a small forward. Steve and his wife Millie have two sons, Brayden and Davis.
He played for the U.S. selection at the World Championships in 1994 in Toronto, Canada, the U.S. Championships in 1999 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Summer Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney, Australia. In all three tournaments, the team won the gold medal. He also won the U.S. Selection the gold medal at the Universiade 1989 in Duisburg.
Playing career
Smith attended Pershing High School in Detroit before he went to Michigan State University, where he played four years ( 1987-91 ).
He subsequently joined the National Basketball Association. He played for the Miami Heat ( 1991-94 and 2005), the Atlanta Hawks (1994-99 ), the Portland Trail Blazers (1999-2001), the San Antonio Spurs ( 2001-03 ), the New Orleans Hornets ( 2003-04 ) and the Charlotte Bobcats (2004-05 ). In total he played 942 regular season games and 90 playoff games in the NBA. On average, Smith scored 14.3 points per game ( 14.9 in the play- offs ).
Career Highlights
- Smith was All- Rookie First elected to the 1991-92 NBA team.
- On February 15, 1993, he scored a triple -double. He was beating the Denver Nuggets 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. He was only the second player in club history the Miami Heat, to have managed this.
- On 30 January 1997 against the Utah Jazz, he made 41 points, the highest number he ever reached in the NBA.
- 1998 Steve was elected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. In 16 minutes he reached 14 points and 3 rebounds.
- Smith was the winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 1997-98 and won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2002.
- 2001/ 02 he led the NBA in three-point in the hit rate. He hit 47.2 percent of his throws from beyond the three-point line (116 of 246 ).
- In the 2002/03 season Smith won the NBA championship with the Spurs.
Contracts and currency
Steve Smith in 1991 in the first round of the NBA Drafts (fifth pick overall ) elected by the Miami Heat. On November 7, 1994, he was traded by the Heat along with Grant Long and a second-round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Kevin Willis and a first-round draft pick. On 2 August 1999 were trading him the Hawks along with Ed Gray to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Isaiah Rider and Jim Jackson. On 25 July 2001, Smith was traded by the Trail Blazers to the San Antonio Spurs for Derek Anderson, Steve Kerr and a second-round draft pick ( 2003). On 29 October 2003 he signed as a free agent contract with the New Orleans Hornets. On September 16, 2004 it took over the Charlotte Bobcats under contract, but were trading him again on 24 February 2005 on the Miami Heat in exchange for Malik Allen.