Smush Parker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Smush Parker

Parker with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007
Personal information
Born	(1981-06-01) June 1, 1981 (age 44) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
High school	Newtown (Queens, New York)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	College of Southern Idaho (1999–2000) Fordham (2001–2002)
NBA Draft	2002 / Undrafted
Pro career	2002–2018
Career history
2002–2003	Cleveland Cavaliers
2003–2004	Aris
2004	Idaho Stampede
2004–2005	Detroit Pistons
2005	Florida Flame
2005	Phoenix Suns
2005	Florida Flame
2005–2007	Los Angeles Lakers
2007–2008	Miami Heat
2008	Los Angeles Clippers
2008	Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2009–2010	Guangdong Southern Tigers
2010–2011	Spartak Saint Petersburg
2011	Iraklis
2012	Petrochimi Bandar Imam
2012	Guaros de Lara
2012	Indios SFM
2012–2013	Cibona
2013	Peristeri
2014	Guaros de Lara
2015	Mon-Altius Madimos Falcons
2015	Étoile Sportive de Radès
2016	Maghreb de Fes
2017–2018	Albany Patroons
Career highlights and awards
Greek Cup winner (2004) Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer (2004)

William Henry "Smush" Parker III (born June 1, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a point guard or shooting guard. Parker played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in many leagues around the world.

Early Life and College Basketball

Smush Parker was born in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Queens, New York, and went to Newtown High School. There, he was a star player on the school's basketball team.

After high school, Parker attended the College of Southern Idaho for one year (1999–2000). He then moved to Fordham University to play college basketball. After his second year at Fordham, he decided to try for the NBA in 2002. Even though he was a strong player, he was not chosen by any team in the draft.

Smush Parker's Professional Basketball Journey

Starting His Career in the NBA and Overseas

Even though Smush Parker was not drafted, the Cleveland Cavaliers signed him for the 2002–03 season. This was his first team in the NBA.

In 2003, Parker left the NBA for a short time. He signed with a team called Aris Thessaloniki in Greece. He helped his team win the 2004 Greek Basketball Cup, which was a big achievement. After his time in Greece, he returned to the NBA in 2004. He played for the Detroit Pistons and then the Phoenix Suns.

Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2005-2007)

In the summer of 2005, Smush Parker signed with the famous Los Angeles Lakers. This was a big moment in his career.

Many people didn't expect Parker to be a starter for the Lakers. However, their coach, Phil Jackson, chose him as the starting point guard. Parker surprised everyone by scoring a lot of points in his first few games. Because of his strong play, he became a regular starter for the Lakers. From 2005 to 2007, he started 162 games in a row. He averaged about 11.5 points per game during this time. Towards the end of his time with the Lakers, he lost his starting spot to a new player, Jordan Farmar.

During his time with the Lakers, Parker and superstar Kobe Bryant had different views on how the team should work together.

Later NBA and International Career

After leaving the Lakers, Parker signed with the Miami Heat in 2007. His performance was not as strong with the Heat. He later signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in March 2008.

Parker's last NBA game was on April 16, 2008, while playing for the Clippers. After that, he continued his career playing basketball in many different countries.

Playing Around the World

In 2009, Smush Parker signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China. He then played for a team in Russia called BC Spartak Saint Petersburg in 2010.

In 2011, he returned to Greece to play for Iraklis Thessaloniki. The next year, in 2012, he played in Iran for Petrochimi Bandar Imam. He also played in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Later in 2012, he joined Cibona Zagreb in Croatia, but he only played a few games there.

In 2013, Parker went back to Greece to play for Peristeri. In 2014, he played again for Guaros de Lara in Venezuela. He also played in a special tournament called The Basketball Tournament.

In 2015, Parker played for a team in Mongolia called Mon-Altius Madimos Falcons. He had very good stats there, averaging 24 points per game. In 2017, he signed with the Albany Patroons in the North American Premier Basketball league. He officially ended his professional basketball career in 2018.

Smush Parker's NBA Statistics

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

Personal Life

Smush Parker got his nickname "Smush" from his mother when he was born. It was a loving nickname for his father, so he became "Baby Smush." Parker is married to Noelani Parker and has one daughter.

See also

In Spanish: Smush Parker para niños