Charles Smith (basketball, born 1965) facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | July 16, 1965 Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| High school | Warren Harding (Bridgeport, Connecticut) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Pittsburgh (1984–1988) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1988–1998 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1992 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1996 | New York Knicks | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | San Antonio Spurs | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 8,107 (14.4 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 3,246 (5.8 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 798 (1.4 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Charles Daniel Smith (born July 16, 1965) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for ten years, from 1988 to 1998. Before joining the NBA, he was an amazing college player for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Charles also helped the USA team win a gold medal at the 1986 World Games and a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics.
Contents
College Basketball Success
Charles Smith was a star player in college. In 1988, he was named the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year. He was part of a very talented group of five new players at the University of Pittsburgh. This group was thought to be the best in the country.
With Charles and another strong player named Jerome Lane, the Pitt Basketball Team became a top team in college basketball. They started the 1987–88 season ranked No. 4 in the nation and even reached No. 2 while Charles was playing there.
Charles also played for the US national team. He was the top scorer for the team when they won the gold medal at the 1986 FIBA World Championship. He also helped the team win a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics.
Playing in the NBA
After his great college career, Charles Smith joined the NBA. He was a tall player, standing 6 feet 10 inches and weighing 245 pounds. He was chosen as the third overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Early Years with the Clippers
In his first year, Charles was so good that he was named to the 1988 NBA All-Rookie Team. He averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds per game. For four years with the Clippers, he was the team's best scorer, averaging 19 points per game.
Moving to the Knicks and Spurs
Later, Charles was traded to the New York Knicks. He joined the Knicks with Doc Rivers and Bo Kimble, in exchange for point guard Mark Jackson. His coach, Pat Riley, moved Charles from his usual position of power forward to small forward. This was to fill a spot left by another player. Around this time, Charles started having problems with his knees.
As his performance numbers went down, he was traded again, this time to the San Antonio Spurs. He played for the Spurs for a couple of years before he stopped playing professional basketball in 1998.
Life After Basketball
After he retired from playing in the NBA, Charles Smith continued to be involved with basketball. He worked as a representative for the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). He then became the First Vice President of the NBPA.
Charles helped create the NBPA Foundation. This is a non-profit group that helps retired basketball players who need support. He also served as the Executive Director of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA). In this role, he organized special games with over 40 retired NBA players.
Charles also took part in a special exhibition game in North Korea. This game was organized by another famous basketball player, Dennis Rodman. The game was shown in a documentary film called Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in Pyongyang in 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Charles D. Smith para niños
