Greg Smith (basketball, born 1991) facts for kids
Smith during his tenure with the Rockets
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 8, 1991 Vallejo, California, U.S. |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Fresno State (2009–2011) |
| NBA Draft | 2011 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2011–2020 |
| Career history | |
| 2011 | Soles de Mexicali |
| 2011–2012 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2012–2014 | Houston Rockets |
| 2012–2013 | →Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2014–2015 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2016 | Raptors 905 |
| 2016 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2016 | İstanbul BŞB |
| 2017 | Blackwater Elite |
| 2017–2018 | Osaka Evessa |
| 2018 | Bank of Taiwan |
| 2019 | Vaqueros de Bayamón |
| 2019 | Blackwater Elite |
| 2019–2020 | Mineros de Zacatecas |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Gregory Stephen Smith (born January 8, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Fresno State. After college, he played in the NBA and for many teams around the world.
Contents
- High School Basketball Years
- College Basketball Years
- Professional Basketball Career
- Playing for Soles de Mexicali (2011)
- Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2011–2014)
- Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks (2014–2015)
- Raptors 905 (2016)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (2016)
- İstanbul BŞB (2016)
- Blackwater Elite (2017)
- Osaka Evessa (2017–2018)
- Playing in Taiwan and Puerto Rico (2018–2019)
- Return to Blackwater Elite (2019)
- Mineros de Zacatecas (2019–2020)
- Personal Life
- See also
High School Basketball Years
Greg Smith went to Edison High School in Fresno, California, from 2005 to 2008. In his junior year (2007–08), he was really good. He scored about 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in each game.
In 2008, he moved to Westwind Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. During his senior year (2008–09), he was named an All-Arizona State player. He was even considered for the McDonald's All-America Team. That year, he averaged 26 points and 14.4 rebounds per game.
College Basketball Years
Greg Smith played college basketball at Fresno State. In his first year (freshman season), he was named the 2009–10 WAC Freshman of the Year. He also earned Freshman All-American honors. He played in 33 games, starting all of them. On average, he scored 11.5 points and got 5.8 rebounds per game.
In his second year (sophomore season), Smith continued to play well. He was named to the second-team All-WAC. He played in 31 games, averaging 11.7 points and 8.1 rebounds.
In March 2011, Smith decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he chose to leave college early, giving up his last two years of college basketball.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for Soles de Mexicali (2011)
After the 2011 NBA draft, Greg Smith was not chosen by any team. This is called going "undrafted." Also, there was an NBA lockout at the time. This meant NBA teams couldn't sign new players.
So, in August 2011, Smith joined Soles de Mexicali. This team is part of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP) in Mexico. In his very first professional game, he scored 18 points and got 9 rebounds. He played 27 games for Soles de Mexicali. He left the team in November when the NBA lockout ended.
Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2011–2014)
On December 13, 2011, Smith signed a contract with the Houston Rockets. But he was later let go by the Rockets on December 22, 2011. A few days later, he joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This team was connected to the Rockets as an "affiliate player." This means he could be called up to play for the Rockets.
On February 8, 2012, Smith signed another deal with the Rockets. The next day, he was sent back to play with the Vipers. He was called back up to the Rockets on February 18. He went back and forth between the two teams.
Because he played mostly for the Vipers in his first year, Smith received some awards. He was named to the All-NBA D-League first team. He was also on the All-Rookie first team.
In July 2012, Smith played for the Rockets in the NBA Summer League. In February 2013, he was sent to the Vipers again, then called back to the Rockets. On March 30, 2013, Smith started his first NBA game. He scored 9 points and got 8 rebounds. He continued to start games for the rest of that season.
In November 2013, Smith hurt his right knee during a game. This injury kept him from playing for about a month. He returned in December but hurt his knee again a month later. He was out of the game for a long time. On April 10, 2014, the Rockets let him go.
Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks (2014–2015)
On April 14, 2014, Smith signed with the Chicago Bulls. However, his knee injury was still bothering him. He did not play in any games for the Bulls that season.
On July 14, 2014, Smith was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He played for the Mavericks until the summer of 2015. After that, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Raptors 905 (2016)
On January 5, 2016, Smith joined Raptors 905. This team is part of the NBA Development League, which is now called the G-League. He played his first game for them two days later. He scored 15 points in that game.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2016)
On March 2, 2016, Smith signed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played his first game for them that night. He scored four points in 10 minutes. He signed a second 10-day contract and then a contract for the rest of the season. On June 30, 2016, the Timberwolves let him go.
İstanbul BŞB (2016)
On October 7, 2016, Smith signed with İstanbul BŞB. This team plays in the Turkish League. He played in seven games for this team before leaving in November.
Blackwater Elite (2017)
On March 4, 2017, Smith signed with Blackwater Elite. This team is in the Philippines and he joined them as an "import" player. In his first game, Smith scored 37 points and got a huge 30 rebounds. This was his career high for rebounds. In 10 games, he averaged 27.7 points and 21.2 rebounds per game.
Osaka Evessa (2017–2018)
On August 8, 2017, Smith signed with Osaka Evessa. This team plays in the Japanese B.League. He left the team in January 2018. In 20 games, he averaged 9.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Playing in Taiwan and Puerto Rico (2018–2019)
In October 2018, Smith signed with Bank of Taiwan. He averaged 14.3 points and 13.5 rebounds in 15 games there. In January 2019, he signed with the Puerto Rican team Vaqueros de Bayamón.
Return to Blackwater Elite (2019)
On July 15, 2019, Smith returned to play for Blackwater Elite in the Philippines. This was his second time playing for the team. In the playoffs, he scored 31 points and got 18 rebounds in one game.
Mineros de Zacatecas (2019–2020)
On July 12, 2019, Smith signed with the Mineros de Zacatecas. This team plays in Mexico. He played for them during the 2019–20 season.
Personal Life
Greg Smith's mother is Cheryl Duckworth. He has an older sister named Ashely and a younger brother named Divante. His uncle, Steve Shelley, also played sports. Steve Shelley was a wide receiver for Fresno State in college. He later signed with the San Diego Chargers in 1990.
See also
In Spanish: Greg Smith (baloncestista de 1991) para niños
