Seven years later, he added ALCS MVP to his resume in his age-36 season, serving as the sage veteran on a Cleveland team that reached the World Series. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. He also drew comparisons to Michael Jordan. Is Kenny Smith in the Hall of Fame? Of Lewis, Smith said, "He's the best lecturer ever. Barkley is often Smiths best sparring partner and helped bring the willingness to engage in more non-sports topics to the show. Tickets for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Enshrinement ceremony and variousevents surrounding the ceremony will be on-sale at a later date. . . Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks defeat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. His dunk contest commentary is legendary. black-ish. With 68.4 career WAR, he falls well within Hall of Fame range, ahead of Duke Snider (66.0), Andre Dawson (64.8), Dave Winfield (64.2), Billy Williams (63.7), Vladimir Guerrero (59.5), Willie Stargell (57.5) and several other legends. Shaquille O'Neal is starting to crack. Despite often giving up several inches to his defenders, he always found his way to the rim. The . College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. us, High School: 306, is indeed grateful to be among your ranks tonight, and I thank you for welcoming me into . Even still, he's top 75 in career points, 30th in career wins over replacement player and 19th in career BPM. When was Kenny Smith born? Points per game grabs much more attention than numbers like rebounds, blocks, steals and defensive-rating swing. Smith began his NBA career playing for Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who was head coach for Kings until he was fired 58 games into the '87-88 season. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Instead, we turn our attention to an integral member of the Big Red Machine in Dave Concepcion, who played his entire 19-year career with the Cincinnati Reds. 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony Highlights. Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, and the late Roy Halladay were voted in over the winter while Lee Smith and Harold Baines were . Shaq also won more championships, with a total of four, and is in the Hall of Fame. 1965 We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. As previously mentioned, Mutombo is tied with Ben Wallace for the most Defensive Player of the Year nods in NBA history with four. He played only nine games with the Pistons before he was waived and signed by the Orlando Magic, who released Smith after only six games. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. Shaq also won more championships, with a total of four, and is in the Hall of Fame. ), recorded 4,073 assists (5.5 avg) while shooting .480 from the field, .399 from three-point range, and .829 from the free throw line. The list itself didn't feature a ton of surprises. In the game of basketball, defense will never be as glamorous as offense. E.E. His true shooting percentage over that stretch was 7.3 points better than the league average. After his playing career . Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Theyve created something bigger than basketball, where people dont always watch the game, they watch the show. Smith girls basketball hosts Triton in the NCHSAA second round of the playoffs on Thursday, Feb . It might be easier to make a case for Omar Vizquel being the best shortstop not currently in the Hall of Fame than it is to make a case that he's deserving of enshrinement. Paul Kennedy/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images. He won't because it isn't nearly enough body of work unless he does it for maybe another 15 years and becomes synonymous with his NBA commentary beyond occasional comedic relief. In order to be considered for this list, players must have appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot and since fallen off by way of failing to reach 75 percent before hitting the year limit or the 5 percent needed to stick around on the ballot. Since 1970, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) has honored Music City's top tunesmiths - some of the greatest writers ever to pick a guitar, play a piano or put pencil to paper in search of the perfect song. He was replaced by former Rocket player Rudy Tomjanovich, who went 1614 to close out the season, missing the playoffs by one game. From 2007-08 to 2011-12, Howard averaged 20.6 points, 13.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. Eric Church, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Alan Jackson and More Sing for the New Hall of Fame Class Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart and songwriter Dean Dillon receive country music's highest . He has been largely ignored by the Hall Of Fame. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Kenny Smith was put to the sword yet again by Charles Barkley - this time for his choice of shoes. Obviously his playing career alone won't help him . One of the best big men of his era, Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy is top 50 in NBA history in career points, rebounds, field goals, free throws, minutes and win shares. Honorable Mentions: Mark Belanger, Bert Campaneris, Bill Dahlen, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Maury Wills. Shaqs career averages were 23.7 points, 2.5 assists, and 10.9 rebounds that puts him behind Smith with assists. From Donald Trump to the protests in Ferguson, nothing was off-limits, which Smith is particularly proud of. His peak, though, particularly on offense, can go toe-to-toe with just about any other. Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images. Even with over 30 years of NBA history in the books since his retirement, Lanier is still top 75 in career points and rebounds. We know that. Explore HOF Explore Hall of Fame Members. [37], Smith has been married twice. ITS OVA LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. Wrestling Champions 1965-66. Press J to jump to the feed. "L.A. wouldnt have those two championships without Pau Gasol. Some sports stars become famous over time. The following 12 (presented in alphabetical order by last name) have some of the strongest such arguments. He finished with 2,369 hits, a 117 OPS+ and a 75.1 career WAR total that ranks sixth all-time among second basemen, behind five Hall of Famers and ahead of 14 others who currently reside in Cooperstown. And with 22 NBA campaigns to his name, they might be right. It is the best basketball show ever. home/away, monthly, etc More Kenny Smith Basketball Reference pages. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? On top of the numbers, Carter left a cultural imprint on basketball that few across history can match. "If I put Kevin McHale or Bill Walton on him, he just yawns and says 'Oh, well, another little guy on me.'". Sacramento Kings, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1987 NBA Draft, More Kenny Smith pages at Sports Reference. What's more, much of what happens on defense isn't specifically measured anywhere. [citation needed] He played some of his earliest basketball at New York's Riverside Church. He played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets. Smith scored 23 points to lead the US to an 8785 win and the Gold Medal over a Soviet Union team that featured Arvydas Sabonis. A Career Before Country Music. [32], During the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, Smith was a member of the Texas team that won the Shooting Stars Competition. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference. He played from an early age, and by 1983 he was a McDonalds All American and one of the best high school players around. [18][19] The Rockets won back-to-back championships in 199394 and 199495 with Smith as the starting point guard. Honorable Mentions: Sal Bando, Buddy Bell, Ken Boyer, Ron Cey, Darrell Evans, Robin Ventura. Growing up in public housing in Houston, he was exposed to R&B, pop, and jazz in addition to country. It's one. His off-the-cuff demeanor was well-received by fans, and the addition of Barkley in 2000 and ONeal in 2011 have only added value. . [23] In game four of the series against the Lakers, Smith had 17 points, 6 assists and was 44 from three-point range to help the Rockets win the series clincher 10294. No. His voting support jumped from 23.2 to 39.8 percent in his final year on the ballot, and it's fair to wonder if he might have ultimately made the cut under the previous 15-year limits rather than the new 10-year cutoff. 982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team (team)*, Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968, 1969 (Team), North Catholic High School Junior Varsity (Philadelphia, PA) (team), 2022: Sonny Boswell, Swin Cash, Larry Costello, Hugh Evans, Manu Ginobili, Tim Hardaway, Del Harris, Lou Hudson, Bob Huggins, Inman Jackson, George Karl, Radivoj Korac, Albert Pullins, Theresa Shank-Grentz, Marianne Stanley, Lindsay Whalen, 2021: Val Ackerman, Rick Adelman, Chris Bosh, Bob Dandridge, Lowell Fitzsimmons, Howard Garfinkel, Yolanda Griffith, Lauren Jackson, Clarence Jenkins, Toni Kukoc, Pearl Moore, Paul Pierce, Bill Russell, Ben Wallace, Chris Webber, Jay Wright, 2020: Patrick Baumann, Kobe Bryant, Tamika Catchings, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kim Mulkey, Barbara Stevens, Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich, 2019: Al Attles, Carl Braun, Charles "Chuck" Cooper, Vlade Divac, Bill Fitch, Bobby Jones, Sidney Moncrief, Jack Sikma, Tennessee A&I teams from 1957 to 1959, Wayland Baptist University teams of 1982-84, Teresa Weatherspoon, Paul Westphal, 2018: Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, Charles "Lefty" Driesell, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Tina Thompson, Dino Radja, Charlie Scott, Ora Mae Washington, Rod Thorn, Rick Welts, Katie Smith, 2017: Robert Hughes, Tracy McGrady, Bill Self, Rebecca Lobo, Muffet McGraw, Mannie Jackson, Tom Jernstedt, Jerry Krause, Zack Clayton, Nick Galis, George McGinnis, 2016: Zelmo Beaty, Darell Garretson, Allen Iverson, Tom Izzo, John McClendon, Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal, Cumberland Posey, Jerry Reinsdorf, Sheryl Swoopes, Dirk vs. the Heat's Big 3: Relive the drama of the 2011 NBA Finals (2:45), Basketball Hall of Fame: Class of 2023 finalists, schedule and more, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. In both cases, he trails only Michael Jordan and LeBron James, arguably the two greatest players of all time. A plane crash ended Thurman Munson's life shortly after his 32nd birthday when he was still in the prime of his career as the captain of the New York Yankees. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. [1], In his professional career, Smith scored 9,397 points (12.8 avg. He is an NCAA All-Star and an inductee to the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. David Aldridge has an award. "He was probably more difficult to guard (than the traditional post-up centers)," former teammateJim Washington told NBA.com's, were much like the centers of today, where they could shoot the outside shot and take the ball to the basket. [36], Kenny Smith played Leon Rich in the movie Hustle (2022), starring Adam Sandler and Juancho Hernangmez. Like Hill, Tracy McGrady's career and top-75 resume were thoroughly affected by injuries. "It was just a matter of growing into it." Shaq's career averages were 23.7 points, 2.5 assists, and 10.9 rebounds that puts him behind Smith with assists. The league average true shooting percentage over those 10 seasons was 53.8. And though it would've been almost impossible to live up to that billing, a healthy prime would've put him much closer. Defensive Back. Kenny Smith attended Archbishop Molloy in Queens, New York and UNC. Whether he was facing starters or reserves, his slashing, passing, three-point shooting and opportunistic defense made him one of the most impactful players of his era. [26][27][28][29], Smith joined Turner Sports in early 1998, working as a studio analyst for end of the NBA regular season and the playoffs. Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Gregg Popovich headline the class. At No. Smith averaged 9.1 points and 5.0 assists per game, and the Tar Heels lost to Indiana in the regional semifinals of the 1984 NCAA tournament.