Zhaire Smith facts for kids
| No. 30 – Texas Legends | |
|---|---|
| Shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 4, 1999 Garland, Texas, U.S. |
| High school | Lakeview Centennial (Garland, Texas) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Texas Tech (2017–2018) |
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Pro career | 2018–present |
| League | NBA G League |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2020 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2019–2020 | →Delaware Blue Coats |
| 2023–2025 | Cleveland Charge |
| 2025–present | Texas Legends |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
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Zhaire Smith (born June 4, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Texas Legends in the NBA G League. Zhaire played college basketball for Texas Tech. After college, he was picked 16th overall in the 2018 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He was then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
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High School Basketball Journey
Zhaire Smith went to Lakeview Centennial High School. His coach there was J. T. Locklear. In his final year, Zhaire was a star player. He scored about 20 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and made 3 assists per game. Coaches in the Dallas area even voted him the best dunker! Zhaire was a highly sought-after player. He chose to play for Texas Tech. He picked them over many other big schools.
College Career Highlights
As a freshman at Texas Tech, Zhaire played really well. He averaged 11.3 points and 5 rebounds per game. He was recognized as one of the best defensive players in his conference. Zhaire helped lead Texas Tech to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. This is a very important college basketball tournament. They lost to Villanova, who later won the championship.
Zhaire had some amazing games. He scored a career-high 21 points against Iowa State. He also nearly got a "triple-double" against Florida. A triple-double means getting double-digit numbers in three different stats. He had 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in that game. After his great season, Zhaire decided to enter the 2018 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting with the Philadelphia 76ers (2018–2020)
On June 21, 2018, Zhaire Smith was chosen by the Phoenix Suns in the NBA draft. He was the 16th player picked overall. However, he was immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He signed with the 76ers on July 2. The 76ers coach, Brett Brown, compared Zhaire to famous player Kawhi Leonard. Zhaire even wore jersey number 2 because Leonard was his favorite player.
Unfortunately, Zhaire faced some challenges early on. In August 2018, he broke his foot at a summer camp. He needed surgery to fix it. A month later, he had another health issue. He had an allergic reaction to sesame, which caused more problems. This made his recovery longer.
Despite these setbacks, Zhaire started playing for the Delaware Blue Coats. This team is part of the NBA G League. He played his first game with them on March 1, 2019. He averaged 7.2 points and 3 rebounds in 11 games.
Zhaire made his NBA debut with the 76ers on March 25, 2019. He scored 3 points in his first game. In his first season, he played in 6 NBA games. He averaged 6.7 points per game. He even started two games, including the final game of the season. Zhaire also played in two games during the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
In his second season, Zhaire continued to work hard. He had lost some weight due to his allergic reaction. He also worked on improving his shooting. On February 27, 2020, he scored 16 points for the Blue Coats.
In November 2020, Zhaire was traded to the Detroit Pistons. However, he was waived by them a week later. He then briefly signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in December 2020 but was waived the next day. He was also on the roster for the Memphis Hustle in 2021 but did not play.
Playing for the Cleveland Charge (2023–Present)
In July 2023, Zhaire joined the Oklahoma City Thunder for the NBA Summer League. On September 15, 2023, he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was waived by them in October. A week later, he signed with the Cleveland Charge. The Charge is another team in the NBA G League.
On February 11, 2024, Zhaire signed a short 10-day contract with the Cavaliers. However, he did not play in any games for them. He returned to the Cleveland Charge on February 23. He signed with the Cavaliers again on September 24, 2024, but was waived on October 19. He rejoined the Cleveland Charge on October 26, 2024. He continues to play for the Texas Legends as of July 2025.
Zhaire Smith's Career Statistics
Here are some of Zhaire Smith's basketball statistics:
NBA Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Philadelphia | 6 | 2 | 18.5 | .412 | .375 | .750 | 2.2 | 1.7 | .3 | .3 | 6.7 |
| 2019–20 | Philadelphia | 7 | 0 | 4.6 | .273 | .000 | .500 | .3 | .3 | .4 | .0 | 1.1 |
| Career | 13 | 2 | 11.0 | .378 | .316 | .667 | 1.2 | .9 | .4 | .2 | 3.7 | |
NBA Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Philadelphia | 2 | 0 | 2.5 | — | — | — | .0 | .0 | .5 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 2 | 0 | 2.5 | — | — | — | .0 | .0 | .5 | .0 | .0 | |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Texas Tech | 37 | 21 | 28.4 | .556 | .450 | .717 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 11.3 |
About Zhaire's Family Life
Zhaire Smith has allergies to peanuts and sesame. His father, Billy, also played college basketball and college football for the Kansas State Wildcats. Billy was a coach for many sports. In 2013, he became a paraplegic, which means he lost the ability to move his lower body.
See also
In Spanish: Zhaire Smith para niños
