Charles Smith (basketball, born 1965)

For other people of the same name, see Charles Smith (disambiguation).

Charles Smith

No. 54, 6
Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1965-07-16) July 16, 1965 Bridgeport, Connecticut
Nationality	American
High school	Warren Harding (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College	Pittsburgh (1984–1988)
NBA Draft	1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	1988–1997
Career history
1988–1992	Los Angeles Clippers
1992–1996	New York Knicks
1996	Florida Beachdogs (CBA)
1996–1997	San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1989) Big East Conference Player of the Year (1988)
Career NBA statistics
Points	8,170 (14.4 ppg)
Rebounds	3,246 (5.8 rpg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men’s basketball Competitor for United States Summer Olympics Bronze 1988 Seoul National team FIBA World Championship Gold 1986 Spain National team

Charles Daniel Smith (born July 16, 1965 in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.

College career

As a college player, Smith was named Big East Player of the Year. Smith led a revitalized University of Pittsburgh basketball program as it moved into a national spotlight. Along with power forward Jerome Lane, Charles Smith and the Pitt Basketball Team became a major force in college basketball. However, the Panthers never won a national championship during Smith's tenure.

He played for the US national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship, that won the gold medal. and the 1988 Olympics which won a bronze medal.

NBA career

After his college career, the 6'10", 230 lb power forward was selected 3rd overall in the 1988 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers but was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. After four years with the Clippers where he was among the team's top scorers and rebounders, he was traded to the New York Knicks with Doc Rivers and Bo Kimble for point guard Mark Jackson. Smith was expected to fill the hole at small forward left by Xavier McDaniel after the Knicks failed to re-sign him after their successful 1991–92 season, a role that Smith struggled in as he was primarily a power forward (a role which Charles Oakley had already filled). As Smith's stats declined, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for J. R. Reid before retiring in 1997 due to knee injuries.

As a member of the Knicks, Smith is infamous for being blocked four consecutive times directly under the basket as he attempted to give New York the lead in Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls. After taking a 2–0 series lead, the Knicks lost Games 3 & 4 in Chicago Stadium. With a chance to take a 3–2 series lead at Madison Square Garden, Smith's attempts were hampered by Michael Jordan, Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen in the final seconds, becoming one of the most notorious and disappointing moments in Knicks history. The Knicks then lost Game 6 and the series in Chicago to complete an epic collapse, while the Bulls moved on to defeat the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals and win their third consecutive championship. However, he was with the Knicks the following year when they defeated the Bulls in the second round, but lost in the Finals to the Houston Rockets.

Post-retirement

In 1989, Smith founded the Charles D. Smith Foundation and Educational Center, in which the building was the first City Hall in the Northeast, and was later converted into a library. The after school center was created for inner-city school children from kindergarten to 9th grades to improve academics and offer a place for youth to get off the streets. Located in Smith's hometown of Bridgeport, it was his dream since playing at Pitt to operate the center that still stands today.

Smith was once a regional representative for the NBA Players Association. He ran a software company for about 6 years. He later returned to school to work on his Masters in management, finishing up over at Seton Hall University.

He was recently elected the executive Director of the NBRPA (National Basketball Retired Players Association), an important role in promoting basketball's image. Other major works of the NBRPA are community service, providing health care, fostering charitable activities and creating revenue-earning opportunities for retired professional basketball players.

External links

• Charles Smith at Basketball-Reference.com