Kenny Smith is a renowned American sports commentator and former professional basketball player who had a distinguished career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the league from 1987 to 1997, representing the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets. Notably, he won two NBA championships with the Houston Rockets during his playing days.
Prior to his NBA career, Smith played college basketball with the North Carolina Tar Heels, earning consensus first-team All-American honors as a senior in 1987. He was subsequently selected by the Sacramento Kings with the sixth overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team with the Kings.
Following his retirement from playing, Smith transitioned to a successful career as a basketball commentator. He has won several Emmys for his work on Inside the NBA (1988) on TNT, and has also worked as an analyst for CBS/Turner during the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
Smith represented the United States in the 1986 FIBA World Championship, where he scored 14.7 points per game, second only to Charles Smith on the team. He led the US to a Gold Medal win over a Soviet Union team featuring Arvydas Sabonis, scoring 23 points in the process.
Throughout his professional career, Smith accumulated impressive statistics, including 9,397 points (12.8 avg.),4,073 assists (5.5 avg.),and shooting percentages of.480 from the field,.399 from three-point range, and.829 from the free throw line. He finished in the NBA top ten in three-point percentage three times and top ten in free throw percentage twice, and holds the Denver Nuggets franchise record for career three-point percentage (.425). Smith continues to rank among the all-time leaders in several categories for the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets.
