Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965) is an American sports commentator and former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). Nicknamed "the Jet", he played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

, and

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

. Smith won back-to-back

NBA championships The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is award ...

with Houston. Smith played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels (also Carolina Tar Heels) are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to ...

, earning consensus first-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors as a senior in 1987. He was selected by Sacramento in the first round of the

1987 NBA draft The 1987 NBA draft was held on June 22, 1987, in New York City. This draft included two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen, as well as fellow Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, who was named to t ...

with the sixth overall pick, and was named to the

NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

with the Kings. After retiring from playing, Smith became a basketball commentator for the

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

Award-winning ''

Inside the NBA ''Inside the NBA'', branded for sponsorship purposes as ''Inside the NBA presented by Kia'', is the halftime and postgame studio show that aired for ''NBA on TNT'' broadcasts from 1989 to 2025. The show has been hosted since 1990 by Ernie John ...

'' on

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

. He also works as an analyst for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

Turner Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters * Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for tur ...

during the

NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...

."Famous Stanners: Kenny Smith, Class of 1983"
. ''www.molloyhs.org''. Retrieved June 16, 2016.

Early life

Smith was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, a borough of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and grew up in

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, spending time in the

LeFrak City LeFrak City (originally spelled Lefrak and pronounced ) is a 4,605-apartment development in the southernmost region of Corona, Queens, Corona and the easternmost part of Elmhurst, Queens, Elmhurst, a neighborhood in the New York City borough (New ...

neighborhood. He played some of his earliest basketball at New York's

Riverside Church Riverside Church is an interdenominational church in the Morningside Heights, Manhattan, Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The church is associated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the Un ...

and at Stephen A. Halsey Junior High School in Rego Park, Queens. Smith attended

Archbishop Molloy High School Archbishop Molloy High School (also called Molloy, Archbishop Molloy, or AMHS) is a four-year private, college preparatory, Catholic school for grades 9–12, located on on 83-53 Manton Street, Briarwood, Queens, New York. It is part of the D ...

, where he was coached by Jack Curran, the high school coach with the most wins in New York City and New York State history. Smith was named a

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Brothers ...

in 1983, then played basketball at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

for

Dean Smith Dean Edwards Smith (February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American men's college basketball Coach (basketball), head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North C ...

. Kenny Smith credits former

South Carolina State South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina. It is the only public, historically black land-grant research university in South Carolina, is a member o ...

star

Bobby Lewis Robert Alan Lewis (February 17, 1933 – April 28, 2020) was an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer, best known for his 1961 hit singles "Tossin' and Turnin'" and "One Track Mind". Biography Lewis was born in Indianapolis, Indian ...

with his development as a shooter and ballhandler. Lewis averaged 30.9 points per game and was a First Team Division II All-American as a senior at South Carolina State. He later developed the ''Bobby Lewis Basketball Skills Development Program'', a training regimen that he presented at basketball camps around the country. Smith attended several of his lectures while in high school, and continued to use Lewis's drills throughout his basketball career, to this day teaching them at his own basketball camps. Of Lewis, Smith said, "He's the best lecturer ever. He had the best influence in terms of my workout regimen without question."

College career

Kenny Smith joined junior

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

and senior

Sam Perkins Samuel Bruce Perkins (born June 14, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and executive. Perkins was a three-time college All-American, was a member of the 1982 national champion North Carolina Tar Heels, and won a gold med ...

on a

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

team that was a pre-season #1 and finished the season ranked #1 with a 28–3 record. Smith averaged 9.1 points and 5.0 assists per game, and the Tar Heels lost to

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

in the regional semifinals of the

1984 NCAA tournament The 1984 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 53 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1984, and ended with the champion ...

. He led North Carolina to the

Elite Eight In the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, NCAA men's Division I basketball championship or the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, NCAA women's Division I basketball championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight t ...

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

, losing to eventual national champion Villanova. Smith was named a

Consensus All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

(1st Team) as senior in

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

, averaging 16.9 points, 6.1 assists per game while helping North Carolina to return to the Elite Eight. Playing in a game that featured eleven future NBA players, Smith led the Tar Heels with 25 points and seven assists in a loss to

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, 79–75. During his career at North Carolina, Smith averaged 12.9 points and 6.0 assists per game, while shooting .512 from the field, and .823 from the

free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...

line. In 1986–87, the first season the NCAA added

three-point field goal A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two ...

s, Smith shot .408. As of 2016, he ranks second in school history in total assists (768), fourth in total steals (195), and fifth in assists per game. Smith helped North Carolina to a record of 115–22 from the 1983–84 to 1986–87 seasons, including two Elite Eight appearances (1985 and 1987) and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1986. They won the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

(ACC) regular season conference championships in 1984 and 1987, and tied for first in 1985. North Carolina never finished lower than eighth in the national polls during Smith's four years at the school.

International career

Smith represented the United States in the

1986 FIBA World Championship The 1986 FIBA World Championship was the 10th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. It was hosted by Spain and was held from 5 to 20 July 1986. The final phase of the tournament was hel ...

, on a team that included

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

Muggsy Bogues Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues (born January 9, 1965) is an American former basketball player. The shortest player ever to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his 14-season care ...

and

Steve Kerr Stephen Douglas Kerr (born September 27, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the United States men's national ...

: the last to exclusively feature amateur American players. He was second on the team in scoring behind Charles Smith with 14.7 points per game. Smith scored 23 points to lead the US to an 87–85 win and the Gold Medal over a

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

team that featured

Arvydas Sabonis Arvydas Romas Sabonis (; born 19 December 1964) is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and businessman. Sabonis won the Euroscar six times and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, including the Spanish ...

Professional career

Sacramento Kings (1987–1990)

The

selected Smith with the sixth overall pick of the

. He made his NBA debut for the Kings in their season opener against the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

on November 6, 1987, scoring 11 points with five assists in Sacramento's win. Under head coach

Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played Center (basketball), center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was t ...

(who would step down as coach to become General Manager mid-way through the season), Smith was immediately a starter in Sacramento, and was named to the

NBA All-Rookie Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

(1st Team) after averaging 13.8 points and 7.1 assists per game his rookie season. Smith began his NBA career playing for

Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

, who was head coach for Kings until he was fired 58 games into the '87-88 season. In 81 starts his second season, Smith averaged 17.3 points, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 38.8 minutes per game. In his third season, he competed in the dunk contest, and made it to the finals of the competition scoring high points for originality with his signature dunk—he started by turning his back to the basket, bouncing the ball backward between his legs and off the backboard, then turning and grabbing it in the air and reverse dunking it. He narrowly lost to

Dominique Wilkins Jacques Dominique Wilkins (born January 12, 1960) is a French-born American former professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Wilkins is a nine-time NBA All-Star, a seve ...

—who would become his teammate just days later with the

Atlanta Hawks (1990)

Midway through the 1989–90 season, Smith was traded to the

in exchange for

Antoine Carr Antoine Labotte Carr (born July 23, 1961) is an American former basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Dawg", he played power forward (and sometimes center) for six different teams in the National Basketball Association across 16 seasons. Early life ...

. He was a reserve player for the first time in his career, averaging 7.7 points per game while only starting five of thirty-games he played for the Hawks as a backup to team captain

Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NB ...

Houston Rockets (1990–1996)

After the 1989–90 season, Smith and

Roy Marble Roy Lane Marble Jr. (December 13, 1966 – September 11, 2015) was an American professional basketball player, 6'6" tall, who played as a swingman. After playing four seasons at the University of Iowa from 1985 to 1989, Marble left the college ...

were traded to the

in exchange for John Lucas and

Tim McCormick Timothy Daniel McCormick (born March 10, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player from Detroit who played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He currently is a pre- and post-game analyst for the Detroit ...

. In 1990–91 Smith averaged 17.7 points per game while leading the Rockets in assists per game (7.1) and free throw percentage (.844)."1990-91 Houston Rockets Roster and Stats"
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved June 24, 2016. Despite

Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon ( ; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian and American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NB ...

missing 25 games due to injury, Smith helped the Rockets to a 52–30 record, the best regular season in franchise history at the time. He received votes for the

NBA Most Valuable Player Award The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jor ...

(more than any Rockets teammate including Olajuwon),"1990-91 Awards Voting"
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved June 25, 2016. and finished in third place in Most Improved Player voting. With Olajuwon, Smith's former Sacramento teammate

Otis Thorpe Otis Henry Thorpe (born August 5, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an NBA All-Star in 1992 and won an NBA championship with the Houston ...

and fellow backcourt mate

Vernon Maxwell Vernon Maxwell (born September 12, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for thirteen seasons during the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Maxwell pla ...

, the Rockets had the foundation for a championship contender. Despite this, Houston started the 1991–92 season only 26–26, and

Don Chaney Donald Ray Chaney (born March 22, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for winning two championships as a player on the Boston Celtics, and winning NBA Coach of the Year while leading the Houston Ro ...

was fired as coach and replaced by former Rocket player

Rudy Tomjanovich Rudolph Tomjanovich Jr. (born November 24, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He won two NBA Championships with the Houston Rockets (1994, 1995) and coached Team USA to the gold medal in men's basketball at the ...

. The Rockets then went 55–27 in 1992–93, losing to the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly shortened to Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Division (1967–1970), and ...

in the second round of the playoffs in seven games. Smith helped to force a game seven against Seattle by scoring 30 points, shooting 4–6 from three-point range, in a Game 6 victory for Houston."Seattle SuperSonics at Houston Rockets Box Score, May 20, 1993"
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', May 21, 1993. Retrieved June 29, 2016. The Rockets won back-to-back championships in 1993–94 and 1994–95 with Smith as the starting point guard. From the 1992–93 to 1994–95 seasons, Smith averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 assists per game, with a three-point percentage of .425. In 57 playoff games during the same period, Smith had nearly identical averages of 11.6 points and 4.3 assists, shooting .456 from three-point range. The first of the two championships concluded a year that Houston started hot with a 22–1 record en route to a franchise-best 58–24 record. Their second championship came on the heels of a much different season; Maxwell left the team, Thorpe was traded for

Clyde Drexler Clyde Austin Drexler (born June 22, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the National Bask ...

, and Houston finished the year going 18–18 in their final 36 games to finish third in the Midwest Division with a 47–35 record. They would still go on to win the championship that season, becoming the lowest seeded playoff team to win the championship (with the statistically most difficult path to the championship). In the first game of the 1995 Finals against the

, Smith had 23 points, 9 assists and made seven

three-pointer A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two p ...

s, including the game-tying shot which sent the game into

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

. Smith's 7 three pointers in the first game of the 1995 NBA Finals was an NBA record at the time. The Rockets won the game 120–118, and went on to sweep the Magic in four games. Smith had been gradually losing playing time to

Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall in th ...

,Howard, Johnette
"SAM I AM WITH TEAMMATES, FOES AND REFS, HOUSTON ROCKET POINT GUARD SAM CASSELL LIKES TO TALK THE TALK-- AND HE'S HAPPY TO BACK IT UP COME CRUNCH TIME
''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'', November 13, 1995. SI Vault. Retrieved June 28, 0216. but he continued to be the Rockets' starting point guard through the 1995–96 season. Although Smith's points, assists, steals and minutes per game declined for the fifth straight season, he was still productive in 1995–96. He averaged 8.5 points and 3.6 assists per game, and shot .382 from three-point range and .821 from the free throw line. The Rockets finished fifth in the NBA Western Conference with a 48–34 record, upsetting the fourth-seeded

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

in the first round before being swept in the second round by eventual Finals runner-up

.McGuire, Paul
"History in Hindsight: The Houston Rockets, The Seattle SuperSonics, and Hakeem Olajuwon's greatest foe"
''www.red94.net'', July 28, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2016. In game four of the series against the Lakers, Smith had 17 points, 6 assists and was 4–4 from three-point range to help the Rockets win the series clincher 102–94. The win against the Lakers also marked the final NBA game for

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...

, who returned to the NBA that season after a five-year absence."Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets Box Score, May 2, 1996"
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved June 30, 2016.Hansford, Corey
"Throwback Thursday: Magic Johnson Makes A Comeback In 1996"
''www.lakersnation.com'', December 12, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2016.

Detroit Pistons (1996)

On September 17, 1996, Smith signed with the

. However, he saw minimal playing time behind

Lindsey Hunter Lindsey Benson Hunter Jr. (born December 3, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1993 to 2010, spending most of his career with the Detroit Pistons. He ...

and

Joe Dumars Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. He could play either shooting guard or point guard on offense and was ...

, and was waived after only nine games to open a roster spot for Jerome Williams.

Orlando Magic (1996–1997)

Smith signed with the

on December 18, 1996, though he was released after just six games.

Denver Nuggets (1997)

In 1997, Smith then signed with his third team in that season, the

. Smith averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 assists while playing just under twenty minutes per game, also serving as a mentor for the young Denver team. Overall for the season, Smith averaged 6.3 points and 2.4 assists per game, the lowest averages of his career, while his three-point percentage of .437 (59/135) was the second highest of his career (and the fourth season in which he shot better than 40 percent on three-pointers). He attended training camp in 1997 with the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

, but did not make

John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (; born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach at the Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball, University of Arkansas. He has been named Naismith College Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2 ...

's final roster and retired shortly after. In his professional career, Smith scored 9,397 points (12.8 avg.), 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. He finished in the NBA top ten in three-point percentage three times (1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95), and top ten in free throw percentage twice (1992–93 and 1993–94). In the 1988–89 season Smith was fifth in the league in minutes played, seventh in minutes per game, and tenth in total assists. Smith's career three-point percentage of .399 42nd in NBA history through 2010."Kenny Smith"
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved on January 28, 2010. Through 2016 Smith held the Denver Nuggets franchise record for career three-point percentage (.425), and ranked among the all-time leaders in several categories for the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets.
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
''www.basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved July 1, 2016.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

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, 81 , , 81 , , 38.8 , , .462 , , .359 , , .737 , , 2.8 , , 7.7 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 17.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 46 , , 46 , , 38.0 , , .461 , , .373 , , .809 , , 2.6 , , 6.6 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 15.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, 33 , , 5 , , 29.4 , , .480 , , .167 , , .846 , , 1.1 , , 4.3 , , .7 , , .0 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, 78 , , 78 , , 34.6 , , .520 , , .363 , , .844 , , 2.1 , , 7.1 , , 1.4 , , .1 , , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 80 , , 33.8 , , .475 , , .394 , , .866 , , 2.2 , , 6.9 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 29.5 , , .520 , , .438 , , .878 , , 2.0 , , 5.4 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 13.0 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 78 , , 28.3 , , .480 , , .405 , , .871 , , 1.8 , , 4.2 , , .8 , , .1 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 25.1 , , .484 , , .429 , , .851 , , 1.9 , , 4.0 , , .9 , , .1 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 68 , , 56 , , 23.8 , , .433 , , .382 , , .821 , , 1.4 , , 3.6 , , .7 , , .0 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, 9 , , 0 , , 7.1 , , .400 , , .500 , , 1.000 , , .6 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , .0 , , 2.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, 6 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .462 , , .600 , , 1.000 , , .3 , , .7 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, 33 , , 3 , , 19.8 , , .422 , , .425 , , .854 , , 1.1 , , 3.1 , , .5 , , .0 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" , Career , 737 , , 650 , , 30.1 , , .480 , , .399 , , .829 , , 2.0 , , 5.5 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 12.8

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 3 , , 37.7 , , .474 , , .500 , , .889 , , 2.7 , , 8.0 , , 1.3 , , 0.3 , , 15.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 12 , , 32.6 , , .492 , , .500 , , .778 , , 2.0 , , 4.2 , , 0.8 , , 0.1 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 23 , , 23 , , 30.3 , , .455 , , .447 , , .808 , , 2.3 , , 4.1 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 22 , , 22 , , 29.6 , , .438 , , .442 , , .900 , , 2.2 , , 4.5 , , 0.6, , 0.1 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 8 , , 23.9 , , .434 , , .387 , , 1.000 , , 1.5 , , 4.8 , , 0.6 , , 0.0 , , 8.9 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" , Career , 68 , , 68 , , 30.0 , , .457 , , .448 , , .847 , , 2.2 , , 4.5 , , 0.8 , , 0.1 , , 11.5

Broadcasting career

Smith joined

Turner Sports TNT Sports is the division of Warner Bros. Discovery in the United States that is responsible for Sports broadcasting, sports broadcasts on its parent company's streaming service, Max (streaming service), Max, and primarily the TruTV, TBS (Americ ...

in early 1998, working as a studio analyst for end of the NBA regular season and the playoffs."Kenny Smith: Inside the NBA Analyst"
. '' www.nba.com''. Retrieved on January 28, 2010. Smith works with

Ernie Johnson Jr. Ernest Thorwald Johnson Jr. (born August 7, 1956) is an American sportscaster for TNT Sports (United States), TNT Sports. He is the television voice and a studio host for Major League Baseball on TBS, hosts ''Inside the NBA'' for ESPN, Americ ...

Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT and CBS Sports. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "the Bread Truck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", ...

, and

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...

on ''Inside the NBA'', a winner of the

Sports Emmy Award The Sports Emmy Awards, or Sports Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports E ...

for

Outstanding Studio Show The Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show was first awarded in 1988. One sports studio show, whether a pregame or a nightly news show, was honored each year. In 2001, the category was split into two subcategories — Outstanding Studi ...

. Smith covered basketball for the

2001 Goodwill Games The 2001 Goodwill Games was the fifth and final edition of the international multi-sport event. The competition was held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, from 29 August to 9 September 2001. A total around 1300 athletes took part in 14 sporti ...

, and he occasionally appears on

NBA TV NBA TV is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and operated by Warner Bros. Discovery through TNT Sports. Dedicated to basketball, the network features exhibition, regular se ...

as an analyst. Smith provided commentary for the

MSG Network The MSG Network (MSG) is an American regional cable and satellite television network, and radio service owned by Sphere Entertainment -- a spin-off of the main Madison Square Garden Company operation (itself a spin-off of local cable provid ...

's broadcasts of

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

games from 2005 to 2008 and works as an analyst for

/Turner during the

. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' has written that Smith's work in broadcasting has made him a household name, significantly boosting his public celebrity beyond what he had during his playing career. During the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, Smith was a member of the Texas team that won the

Shooting Stars Competition The Shooting Stars competition was a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest during All-Star Weekend that was held on the Saturday before the All-Star Game. It involved a current NBA player, a WNBA player, and a retired NBA player competin ...

. While on the Scoop B Radio Podcast in 2017, Smith told

Brandon Scoop B Robinson Brandon may refer to: Names and people *Brandon (given name), a male given name *Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins Places Australia *Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales *Brandon, Qu ...

that the 1994

would have beaten

and the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

had they faced each other in the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

. On the August 26, 2020 edition of ''

'', Smith left the set as a show of solidarity with the six teams that elected to boycott the day's games in response to the

shooting of Jacob Blake On August 23, 2020, Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake in the back four times and the side three times after Blake opened the driv ...

. The live broadcast, originally scheduled to lead into a double-header, was turned into a panel discussion of racial injustice in America after the announcement of the games' postponements. In October 2022, Smith signed a long-term contract extension with

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports TNT Sports is the division of Warner Bros. Discovery in the United States that is responsible for Sports broadcasting, sports broadcasts on its parent company's streaming service, Max (streaming service), Max, and primarily the TruTV, TBS (Americ ...

to continue as a host on ''

.''

Acting career

Kenny Smith played sports agent Leon Rich in the movie '' Hustle'' (2022), starring

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...

and

Juancho Hernangómez Juan Alberto "Juancho" Hernangómez Geuer (born 28 September 1995) is a Spanish professional basketball player for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 15th overa ...

Personal life

Smith has been married twice. He has two children from his first marriage: Kayla, an R&B singer, and K. J., a basketball player who played for the

, his father's alma mater, from 2018 to 2021 and is a national basketball analyst with the website On3.com . After divorcing his first wife, Smith met English model

Gwendolyn Osborne Gwendolyn Osborne (born 7 August 1978)
, PRWeb, 8 September 2006, retrieved 28 March 2010. ...

in 2004 at a charity event. They married on September 8, 2006. They have two children together. Smith is also stepfather to Osborne's daughter from a previous marriage. Osborne is a former model on ''

The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is an American television game show where contestants compete by guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. A 1972 revival by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman of their The Price Is Right (1956 American game ...

''.'Gwendolyn Osborne, a Barker beauty on the Price is Right, wed former NBA Star Kenny "the Jet" Smith.'
''www.prweb.com'', September 8, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2010. Gwendolyn Osborne filed for divorce in 2018. Smith earned a degree in Industrial Relations from UNC in 1987.

National Urban League The National Urban League (NUL), formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan historic civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of economic and social justice for Afri ...

br>Kenny Smith
retrieved May 12, 2025.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Kenny 1965 births Living people 1986 FIBA World Championship players 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American journalists African-American sports announcers African-American sports journalists African-American television personalities All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players American sports journalists Archbishop Molloy High School alumni Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Queens, New York College basketball announcers in the United States Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games Denver Nuggets players Detroit Pistons players FIBA World Championship–winning players Goodwill Games gold medalists Goodwill Games medalists in basketball Houston Rockets players McDonald's High School All-Americans NBA broadcasters North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Orlando Magic players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Point guards Sacramento Kings draft picks Sacramento Kings players United States men's national basketball team players