Kenny Smith

Two-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets and current basketball commentator.

Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player who played for six teams during his 10-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won back-to-back NBA championships with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995.

Quick Facts

Born: 8 March 1965
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
High school: Archbishop Molloy (Queens, New York)
College: North Carolina (1983–1987)
Draft round: 1
Drafted by: Sacramento Kings
Career position: Point guard
Career number: 30, 31

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.

Reader's Guide

Smith was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Queens, spending time in the LeFrak City neighborhood. He played some of his earliest basketball at New York's Riverside Church and at Stephen A. Halsey Junior High School in Rego Park, Queens. Smith 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.

Kenny Smith credits former South Carolina State star Bobby Lewis with his development as a shooter and ballhandler. Smith averaged 12.9 points and 6.0 assists per game during his college career. He represented the United States in the 1986 FIBA World Championship, winning a gold medal. In the NBA, Smith played for the Sacramento Kings (1987–1990), Atlanta Hawks (1990), Houston Rockets (1990–1996), and Detroit Pistons (1996).

With the Rockets, he won back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995. In Game 1 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 tied the NBA record at the time for most three-pointers in an NBA Finals game. The Rockets won the game 120–118, and went on to sweep the Magic in four games.

Did You Know?

Smith finished 10th in Most Improved Player voting in 1990–91, not third.
Smith's 7 three-pointers in Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals tied the record set by Michael Jordan in Game 1 of the 1992 Finals.
The 1995 Rockets finished third in the Midwest Division with a 47–35 record, and were the sixth seed in the Western Conference.