Joe Smith (basketball) facts for kids
Smith with the Lakers in December 2010
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 26, 1975 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| High school | Matthew Fontaine Maury (Norfolk, Virginia) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Maryland (1993–1995) |
| NBA Draft | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall |
| Selected by the Golden State Warriors | |
| Pro career | 1995–2011 |
| Career history | |
| 1995–1998 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1998 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1999–2000 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2000–2001 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2001–2003 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2003–2006 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2006 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2006–2007 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2007–2008 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2008 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2008–2009 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2009 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2009–2010 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2010 | New Jersey Nets |
| 2010–2011 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 11,208 (10.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,575 (6.4 rpg) |
| Blocks | 868 (0.8 bpg) |
Joseph "Joe" Leynard Smith (born July 26, 1975) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played as a power forward. Joe Smith spent 16 years playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his career, he played for 12 different teams.
Joe grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1995, he was named the Naismith College Player of the Year while playing for the University of Maryland. That same year, he was the very first player chosen in the 1995 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. He was also selected for the NBA All-Rookie team in his first year. Joe Smith moved between many teams during his career. He was one of the most traded players in NBA history. He played for teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Joe Smith's College Basketball Career
Joe Smith played college basketball for the University of Maryland for two seasons. He was a very talented player. In his second year, he averaged 20.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. This means he scored a lot of points and grabbed many rebounds. He was also named to the AP NCAA All-America Team. On March 2, 1995, Joe scored an amazing 40 points in one game against Duke. He even made a game-winning shot right at the end!
Joe Smith's NBA Journey
Golden State Warriors (1995–1998)
In the 1995 NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors chose Joe Smith as the first overall pick. This meant he was considered the best young player entering the league that year. He was picked before other great players like Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace. On November 30, 1995, Joe scored 30 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. This was his highest score during his first year. On January 20, 1996, he grabbed 20 rebounds in one game. This was a career high for him.
Joe started all 82 games in his rookie season. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year award voting. The next season, Joe had his best scoring year, averaging 18.7 points per game. He played for the Warriors for two and a half years. Then, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1997–98 season.
Minnesota Timberwolves (1999–2001)
After playing for the 76ers, Joe Smith joined the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played very well alongside All-Star player Kevin Garnett. Joe played as a small forward for the Timberwolves.
Detroit Pistons (2000–2001)
For the 2000–01 season, Joe Smith played for the Detroit Pistons. He was a backup player but still put up good numbers. After this season, he went back to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves for two more years.
Milwaukee Bucks (2003–2006)
In 2003, Joe Smith was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played three seasons with the Bucks. During the 2004 NBA Playoffs, Joe had some of his best playoff games. He averaged 13.2 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Playing for Many Teams (2007–2011)
Joe Smith became known for playing on many different teams. Before the 2006–07 season, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He only played 11 games there before being traded again. This time, he went back to the Philadelphia 76ers. He played well for the 76ers, averaging over 25 minutes per game.
For the 2007–08 season, Joe signed with the Chicago Bulls. He averaged over 11 points and 5 rebounds per game. Later that season, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On August 13, 2008, Joe was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He later rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 3, 2009. On August 25, 2009, he signed with the Atlanta Hawks. On March 17, 2010, Joe Smith reached a special milestone. He became the 92nd player in NBA history to play 1,000 games!
Joe then signed with the New Jersey Nets on September 10, 2010. His final trade happened on December 15, 2010. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He made his debut for the Lakers on January 2, 2011. Joe Smith retired from playing basketball in 2011. He played for 12 different teams, which was an NBA record he shared with a few other players for a long time.
Life After Playing: Coaching and Music
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Joe Smith has also explored coaching. In 2015, he helped out at a practice for the Phoenix Suns. He worked with their center, Alex Len, to help him improve. Joe Smith also coaches basketball in the Atlanta area. He uses a private coaching service called CoachUp.
Music Career
Did you know Joe Smith also has a music career? He recorded a rap album under the name 'Joe Beast'. Some of the songs on his album are called "Murda Kapital" and "I Does This." He made this album in Oklahoma City when he was playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Images for kids
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Smith (left) driving against the Warriors' Chris Webber (#4) with the Bulls in 2008
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Smith as a Cleveland Cavalier
See also
In Spanish: Joe Smith para niños
