Steve Smith (basketball) facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | March 31, 1969 Highland Park, Michigan, U.S. |
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| High school | John J. Pershing (Detroit, Michigan) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 221 lb (100 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Michigan State (1987–1991) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1991 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Miami Heat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1991–2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1994 | Miami Heat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Atlanta Hawks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Portland Trail Blazers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | San Antonio Spurs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | New Orleans Hornets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Charlotte Bobcats | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Miami Heat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 13,430 (14.3 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 3,060 (3.2 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 2,922 (3.1 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Steven Delano Smith, born on March 31, 1969, is a former professional basketball player from America. After playing, he became a basketball analyst for Turner Sports. Steve played basketball for Michigan State in college. He then played for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He played for several teams, including the Miami Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the San Antonio Spurs. He is especially known for his five years with the Atlanta Hawks. During that time, he was chosen for the NBA All-Star Game in 1998. Steve won an NBA championship with the Spurs in 2003.
Steve Smith was known as an excellent three-point shooter. He is one of only three players to make seven three-pointers in a single quarter. He also played for the USA men's national basketball team. He won gold medals at the 1994 FIBA World Championship, the 1999 Tournament of the Americas, and the 2000 Summer Olympics.
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College Basketball Career
Steve Smith had a fantastic four-year career at Michigan State. He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,263 points. He also ranks high in assists and rebounds for the team.
During his college career, Steve averaged 18.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. In his senior year, he was named to the NABC All-American First Team. He helped the Spartans win a Big Ten Championship and reach the Sweet Sixteen in 1990. In 1991, he made a game-winning three-pointer in the NCAA Tournament. In 2001, he was honored by being inducted into the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
NBA Career Highlights
Playing for the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat picked Steve Smith as the fifth overall player in the 1991 NBA draft. The Heat was a new team with other young players like Glen Rice. In his first season, Steve played in 61 games and started 59 of them. He averaged 12 points and 4.6 assists per game.
The young Heat team made it to the playoffs but lost to the Chicago Bulls. Steve averaged 16 points per game in that series. Injuries limited him to 48 games in his second season, but his scoring average went up to 16 points. The Heat did not make the playoffs that year.
The 1993–94 season was Steve's best with the Heat. He averaged 17.3 points and 5.1 assists. The Heat won 42 games and faced the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs. Miami won its first playoff games in team history, with Steve leading the team in scoring. He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks early in the 1994–95 season.
Time with the Atlanta Hawks
Steve Smith played 78 games for the Atlanta Hawks in the 1994–95 season. He averaged 16 points in the regular season and 19 points in the playoffs. The Hawks lost in the first round to the Indiana Pacers.
In the 1995–96 season, Steve averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game. He and Mookie Blaylock formed a strong backcourt. The team won 46 games and beat the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. They then faced the Orlando Magic. Steve scored 35 points in one game, but the Hawks lost the series. He averaged 21.7 points in 10 playoff games that year.
The next season, Steve's scoring average went up again to 20.1 points. He was the Hawks' main scorer. On March 14, 1997, he made a career-high 9 three-pointers. The Hawks, with players like Christian Laettner and Dikembe Mutombo, won 56 games. They beat the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. They then lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
In the 1997–98 season, Steve again averaged 20.1 points. He was named an NBA All-Star and scored 14 points in the game. The Hawks lost in the playoffs to the Charlotte Hornets. Steve averaged 24.8 points in that series.
The 1998–99 season was shorter due to a league lockout. Steve averaged 18.7 points and led the Hawks to another playoff win over Detroit. However, they lost to the New York Knicks. After this season, Steve was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers were a strong team when Steve joined them. They had stars like Rasheed Wallace and Scottie Pippen. Steve did not have to be the main scorer anymore. He averaged 14.9 points per game in 81 starts. The Trail Blazers had the second-best record in the Western Conference.
In the playoffs, Steve's scoring average increased to 17.1 points. Portland beat the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz. They then faced the Los Angeles Lakers, who were the best team in the league. The Lakers took a 3–1 lead, but Portland won two games to force a Game 7. Steve scored 26 points in Game 6. Despite leading by a lot in Game 7, the Lakers came back and won.
In the summer of 2000, Steve played for the United States men's national basketball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. The team won the gold medal. He averaged over 6 points per game in the Olympics.
The Trail Blazers had high hopes for the 2000–01 season. However, injuries and team changes made it a tough year. Steve started in 36 games and averaged 13.6 points. Portland lost to the Lakers again in the first round of the playoffs. After the season, Steve was traded to the San Antonio Spurs.
Winning a Championship with the San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs had superstars Tim Duncan and David Robinson. They wanted to win another championship. Steve became the team's starting shooting guard. He averaged 11.6 points per game and led the league in three-point shooting at 47 percent.
In the playoffs, Steve scored well in the Spurs' first-round win over the Seattle SuperSonics. However, they struggled against the defending champion Lakers and lost in 5 games.
The 2002–03 season was Steve's last in San Antonio. Young point guard Tony Parker became a key scorer for the team. Steve started only 18 games due to injuries. He averaged 6.8 points per game. He played a smaller role in the Spurs' playoff run. The team beat the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks. They then defeated the New Jersey Nets in six games to win the NBA title. This was Steve Smith's first and only championship.
Later Career Teams
Before the 2003–04 season, Steve signed with the New Orleans Hornets. He played in 71 games, averaging 5 points per game. The Hornets made the playoffs but lost to the Miami Heat in a close series. Steve scored 25 points against his old team in the final game.
After that season, Steve signed with the Charlotte Bobcats. He played in 37 games and averaged 7.9 points. He even made the franchise's first three-point shot. Midway through the season, he was traded back to the Miami Heat. He played a small role for the Heat, who lost in the conference finals to the Detroit Pistons. After this, Steve Smith announced his retirement from basketball.
Post-NBA Career
After retiring from playing, Steve Smith became a basketball announcer. He worked on Atlanta Hawks games and as a college basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network. In 2008, he joined NBA TV. During the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend, he was part of the Atlanta team that won the Shooting Stars Competition.
Charitable Work
Steve Smith is well known for his charity work. In 1997, he gave US$2.5 million to his college, Michigan State University. This money helped build the Clara Bell Smith Student Athlete Academic Center, named after his mother. This was the largest donation ever made by a professional athlete to their former school at that time.
Steve also works closely with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He has hosted many events to raise money for this children's hospital.
Personal Life
Steve Smith met his wife, Millie, at a charity tennis tournament. They got married in 1996. They have two sons, Brayden and Davis. Steve often coaches his sons in soccer and basketball. He is also the older cousin of NBA point guard Kay Felder. Steve Smith lives in Atlanta.
See also
In Spanish: Steve Smith para niños
