Otis Smith

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Lore & Background

Smith played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, earning consensus first-team All-American honors as a senior in 1987. He was selected by Sacramento in the first round of the 1987 NBA draft with the sixth overall pick and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team with the Kings. After retiring from playing, Smith became a basketball commentator for the Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA on TNT and ESPN as well as NBA Countdown. He also works as an analyst for CBS/Turner during the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

In Their Own Story

In 2017, the Sacramento Kings offered Otis Smith a vice president of basketball operations role, but he declined by withdrawing his name from consideration to stay and assist his close friend Stan Van Gundy in Detroit. After Van Gundy was relieved of his duties, Smith joined the Houston Rockets on a management consulting basis. This decision reflects a career built on personal relationships and a willingness to prioritize loyalty over advancement. Smith's consulting work with the Rockets from 2020 to 2023 marked his most recent NBA affiliation before moving into his current undisclosed management consultant role.

Reader's Guide

Smith was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Queens. He attended Archbishop Molloy High School, where he was coached by Jack Curran. Smith was named a McDonald's All-American in 1983, then played basketball at the University of North Carolina for Dean Smith. He credits former South Carolina State star Bobby Lewis with his development as a shooter and ballhandler. Smith represented the United States in the 1986 FIBA World Championship, winning a gold medal. In the NBA, he played for the Sacramento Kings (1987–1990), Atlanta Hawks (1990), Houston Rockets (1990–1996), and Detroit Pistons (1996). He won back-to-back NBA championships with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995. In his third season with the Kings, he competed in the dunk contest and made it to the finals, narrowly losing to Dominique Wilkins.

Did You Know?

• Smith scored 23 points to lead the US to an 87–85 win and the Gold Medal over a Soviet Union team that featured Arvydas Sabonis.
• In the first game of the 1995 Finals against the Orlando Magic, Smith had 23 points, 9 assists and made seven three-pointers, including the game-tying shot which sent the game into overtime.
• Smith's 7 three pointers in the first game of the 1995 NBA Finals was an NBA record at the time.