Samuel Chestley "Sam" Smith Sr.
Personal information
Born(1943-01-27)January 27, 1943
Welch, West Virginia, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 2022(2022-05-18) (aged 79)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High schoolHazard (Hazard, Kentucky)
CollegeKentucky Wesleyan (1963–1967)
NBA draft1967: 3rd round, 28th overall pick
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
Playing career1967–1971
PositionSmall forward
Number52, 5, 50, 54
Career history
1967–1968Minnesota Muskies
1968–1970Kentucky Colonels
1971Utah Stars
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points2,007 (8.2 ppg)
Rebounds1,776 (7.0 rpg)
Assists1,100 (1.1 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Samuel Chestley Smith Sr. (January 27, 1943 – May 18, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played four seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He played for the Minnesota Muskies, Kentucky Colonels, and Utah Stars from 1967 to 1971. Prior to turning professional, he was noted for being one of the first three African American basketball players at the University of Louisville. He later transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan College and helped the school win its first NCAA Division II championship in 1966.

Early life

Smith was born in Welch, West Virginia, on January 27, 1943.[1][2] He later relocated to Hazard, Kentucky,[1] and attended Hazard High School,[2] where he played American football and basketball.[3] He was selected to the state's high school basketball All-Star team in 1962 to face the Indiana All-Stars. Later that year, he joined the University of Louisville after being recruited by Bernard Hickman, the Louisville Cardinals coach who also scouted Wade Houston and Eddie Whitehead.[4] The trio became the first black basketball players at the University of Louisville, as well as the first at a traditionally white university in the state.[3][4][5] Smith was the first of the three players to start for the Cardinals, as well as the most convincing candidate for playing time and chief rival of Judd Rothman, the Cardinals incumbent starting center.[3]

College career

During his sophomore year (his first on the varsity team), Smith averaged 9.2 points per game (PPG),[6] and led the school in scoring.[4] However, he was found to be academically ineligible for the team halfway through the season in February 1964.[3][4] He consequently left Louisville, claiming that it was "too big for him",[3] and transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan College.[4][7] Together with Dallas Thornton and George Tinsley, he helped the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers to the NCAA Division II championship in 1966, the first of eight titles for the school.[4] In the final 15 seconds of the championship game, Smith made a layup to break a 51–51 tie and give the Panthers the victory over Southern Illinois University Carbondale.[4][8] Smith, who scored more than 20 points in that game, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.[4][9]

Smith received two All-American selections during his college career and was honored as the All-NCAA South Region Most Outstanding Player twice. He was also named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team in 1967.[9] He finished with 1,102 career points and 714 rebounds.[4][9] He was selected in the third round (28th overall selection) of the 1967 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals.[2][7] He was ultimately signed by the Minnesota Muskies of the American Basketball Association (ABA) later that year.[10]

Professional career

Smith made his ABA debut with the Muskies on October 22, 1967,[2] scoring 24 points to go along with 14 rebounds against the Kentucky Colonels.[11] He played 77 games during his rookie season (18th most in the ABA), recording the eleventh-lowest turnover percentage (9.7) and fourth-most defensive win shares (5.2) that year. After one season with the franchise, he joined the Colonels in 1968. During the 1969–70 season, he finished fourteenth in the league in offensive rebounds (301), sixteenth in defensive win shares (3.3), nineteenth in total rebounds (719), and twentieth in rebounds per game (8.9).[2] He was then traded to the Utah Stars late during the 1970–71 season. This consequently limited his playing time with the franchise,[12] with Smith playing just one game in each of the Stars' three playoff series that year.[2] The Stars ultimately won the championship in seven games against the Colonels.[13] It turned out to be his final appearance in the ABA. Throughout his four-season ABA career, Smith averaged 8.2 PPG and 7.0 rebounds per game.[2]

Later life

After retiring from professional basketball, Smith went back to Owensboro, Kentucky. He carried on playing basketball on a leisurely basis, such as at the local Dust Bowl tournament.[4] He also resided in Indianapolis.[12] He was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Panthers Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013, alongside Thornton and Tinsley. He was also named to the Panthers All-Century team in voting by fans.[4][9]

Personal life

Smith was married to Helen Ruth Smith for 56 years until his death. Together, they had two children: Samuel Jr. and Felicia ("Nikki"), who predeceased him.[1]

Smith died on May 18, 2022, at the age of 79, following the delay of his pension (which would have been distributed by the NBA).[1][7][14] His funeral was held ten days later on May 28 at a Catholic church near Indianapolis.[1]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
† Denotes seasons in which Erving's team won an ABA championship

ABA

Source[15]

Regular season

Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG PPG
1967–68 Minnesota 7728.2.379.333.6617.61.19.8
1968–69 Kentucky 6222.9.396.100.6636.31.07.4
1969–70 Kentucky 8129.7.424.250.6558.91.39.6
1970–71 Kentucky 2510.4.452.000.6292.7.63.5
1970–71† Utah 104.3.300.333.5001.3.41.5
Career 25524.7.401.200.6577.01.18.2

Playoffs

Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG PPG
1968 Minnesota 1037.4.394–.6868.11.214.7
1969 Kentucky 722.4.333.000.4386.01.36.4
1970 Kentucky 1229.5.545–.7378.01.011.3
1971† Utah 33.3.333.000–1.0.31.3
Career 3228.0.431.000.6676.91.110.4

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Samuel "Sam" Chestley Smith". The Owensboro Times. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Sam Smith Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Greer, Jeff (February 22, 2019). "The three men who integrated Louisville basketball together". The Athletic. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Smith, Gerald L.; McDaniel, Karen Cotton; Hardin, John A., eds. (August 28, 2015). The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 470. ISBN 9780813160665.
  5. ↑ Cox, Dwayne D.; Morison, William J. (1999). The University of Louisville. University Press of Kentucky. p. 128. ISBN 9780813127279.
  6. ↑ "Men's Basketball to Honor Houston, Smith, Whitehead". Louisville Cardinals. February 17, 2014. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Hatter, Evan (May 20, 2022). "Hazard basketball legend Sam Smith dies at 78". WYMT-TV. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  8. ↑ Meier, Ted (March 12, 1966). "Russell gets shot at Wildcats tonight". The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Sam Smith (2013)". Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Daniels Story". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. December 7, 1967. p. 38. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  11. ↑ "October 22, 1967 Kentucky Colonels at Minnesota Muskies Box Score". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. October 22, 1967. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  12. 1 2 Pattison, Dan (May 20, 2001). "Stars search: Catching up with the 1971 ABA champions". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  13. ↑ "1971 ABA Finals – Colonels vs. Stars". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  14. ↑ Day, Kevin (May 20, 2022). "Hazard basketball legend Sam Smith passes away". WXKQ-FM. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Sam Smith ABA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
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