Randy Smith (basketball) facts for kids
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1948 Bellport, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 2009 (aged 60) Norwich, Connecticut, U.S. |
| High school | Bellport (Brookhaven, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Buffalo State (1968–1971) |
| NBA Draft | 1971 / Round: 7 / Pick: 104th overall |
| Selected by the Buffalo Braves | |
| Pro career | 1971–1983 |
| Career history | |
| 1971–1979 | Buffalo Braves / San Diego Clippers |
| 1979–1981 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1981–1982 | New York Knicks |
| 1982–1983 | San Diego Clippers |
| 1983 | Atlanta Hawks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 16,262 (16.7 ppg) |
| Assists | 4,487 (4.6 apg) |
| Steals | 1,403 (1.7 spg) |
Randolph "Randy" Smith (born December 12, 1948 – died June 4, 2009) was an American professional basketball player. He was famous for setting an NBA record for playing in the most games in a row. From 1972 to 1982, Randy played in every single regular season game. This amazing streak reached 906 games, which was a record at the time. Later, another player named A. C. Green broke his record.
Randy was born in Bellport, New York. Before becoming a pro, he was an incredible athlete in college. He earned special honors in basketball, soccer, and track.
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College Sports Star
Randy Smith was an amazing all-around athlete at Buffalo State College. He was so good that he earned "All-American" honors in three different sports: basketball, soccer, and track.
When he was in high school at Bellport High School on Long Island, Randy was a top player in both soccer and basketball. He even set a state record in the high jump, clearing 6 feet 6 inches!
But it was on the basketball court where Randy truly shined. He and his teammate Durie Burns led their college team, the Buffalo State Bengals, to win three conference championships in a row. In 1970, they even made it to the Final Four of the NCAA Division II Tournament. Randy played so well that he was named to the All-Tournament team.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Buffalo Braves and San Diego Clippers (1971–1979)
When Randy Smith joined the NBA, he surprised everyone at training camp. Even though he was only 6 feet 3 inches tall, he was asked to play forward. He quickly proved himself, averaging 13.4 points per game in his first year.
Randy kept getting better and better. He used his incredible speed, quickness, and jumping ability to stand out. His exciting style of play, along with other players like Julius Erving, helped change how basketball was played in the late 1970s. They made the game faster, with more exciting dunks and quick moves.
In the 1975–76 season, Randy played alongside Bob McAdoo, who was the league's top scorer. Randy averaged 21.8 points per game that season and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
A big moment in Randy's career was the 1978 NBA All-Star Game. He came off the bench and scored 27 points, more than any other player in the game. Because of his amazing performance, he was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Randy played for the Buffalo Braves for seven years. In 1978, the team moved and became the San Diego Clippers. In his first year with the Clippers, Randy continued his great play, averaging over 20 points per game for the fourth season in a row.
Time with the Cleveland Cavaliers (1979–1981)
In 1979, Randy Smith was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played for them for two years and was named the team captain.
One Season with the New York Knicks (1981–1982)
After playing for the Cavaliers, Randy spent the 1981 season with the New York Knicks.
Back to San Diego (1982–1983)
The next season, Randy returned to play for the San Diego Clippers again.
On November 3, 1982, Randy played in his 845th consecutive NBA game. This broke the "iron man" record previously held by Johnny Kerr. Randy's amazing streak of playing in every game ended at 906 games on March 13, 1983. He asked to leave the Clippers so he could join a team that had a chance to win the championship. He missed a game while waiting for this to happen. His record was later broken by A. C. Green in 1997.
Final Games with the Atlanta Hawks (1983)
Randy Smith was then traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He played 15 games for them before he retired from basketball.
Soccer Dreams (NASL)
In 1975, when Randy was 26 and at the peak of his basketball career, he tried out for a professional soccer team. This team was the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League. The Rowdies hoped to sign him because he had been a two-time college soccer All-American. However, his contract with the Buffalo Braves basketball team did not allow him to play professional soccer at that time.
A year later, when he was between basketball contracts, the Rowdies gave him another chance. But it still didn't work out. After a third and final tryout in 1977, the Rowdies' coach, Eddie Firmani, felt that playing pro basketball for so long and not playing soccer had made Randy's soccer skills not quite as sharp as they needed to be for professional soccer.
Life After the NBA
After Randy Smith stopped playing basketball, he continued to work in the NBA as an executive. Part of his job was to help former players who needed support. He also worked as a coach in the Continental Basketball Association. Later, he worked in marketing at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Randy's amazing sports career was recognized when he was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 for basketball. He was also inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
Sadly, Randy Smith passed away on June 4, 2009, in Norwich, Connecticut. He had a heart attack during a workout. He is buried at the Forest Lawn East Cemetery in Weddington, North Carolina.
See also
- Iron man
- List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders
