Adrian Smith (basketball)

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Adrian Smith

| image = Adrian Smith Royals.jpg

| width =

| caption =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 180

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1936|10|05}}

| birth_place = Farmington, Kentucky, U.S.

| high_school = Farmington (Farmington, Kentucky)

| college =

{{nowrap|Northeast Mississippi CC (1954–1956)}}
Kentucky (1956–1958)

| draft_year = 1958

| draft_round = 15

| draft_pick = 85

| draft_team = Cincinnati Royals

| career_start = 1961

| career_end = 1972

| career_number = 10

| career_position = Point guard

| years1 = 1959–1960

| team1 = USAF All-Stars

| years2 = 1961

| team2 = Akron Goodyear Wingfoots

| years3 = {{nbay|1961|start}}–{{nbay|1969|start}}

| team3 = Cincinnati Royals

| years4 = {{nbay|1969|start}}–{{nbay|1970|end}}

| team4 = San Francisco Warriors

| years5 = 1971–1972

| team5 = Virginia Squires

| highlights =

|stats_league=NBA and ABA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 8,750 (11.3 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 1,626 (2.1 rpg)

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value = 1,739 (2.3 apg)

| medal_templates =

{{MedalCountry|the {{bk|United States}}}}

}}

Adrian Howard "Odie" Smith (born October 5, 1936) is an American former professional basketball player.

Early life

Smith was the fifth of six children of Oury and Ruth Smith of Farmington, Kentucky. The family lived in a farmhouse that had no electricity and no indoor plumbing. He was nicknamed "Odie" after a comedian on the Grand Ole Opry.{{cite web| url = https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-feb-13-la-sp-crowe-20110214-story.html| title = Archives - Los Angeles Times| website = Los Angeles Times| date = February 13, 2011}} As a child, he attended a three-room schoolhouse in rural Graves County, Kentucky. Because the family didn't have money for a basketball, he learned to shoot one his mother made from rolling up his dad's socks.

He attended Farmington High School, where he nearly didn't play high school basketball until the school's principal and basketball coach agreed to give him a ride home, a distance of seven miles, after practices.{{cite web| url = https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-feb-13-la-sp-crowe-20110214-story.html| title = Archives - Los Angeles Times| website = Los Angeles Times| date = February 13, 2011}} As a senior, his only scholarship offer was from nearby Murray State University, but he took too long to accept and the offer was withdrawn.{{cite web| url = http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/13/1390007/mark-story-uks-smith-enters-hall.html| title = Reference at www.kentucky.com}}

College career

File:Adrian_Smith_UK.jpg

Smith enrolled to play basketball at Northeast Mississippi Junior College (now known as Northeast Mississippi Community College). After Smith excelled on the court, Northeast coach Bonner Arnold convinced legendary University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp to send a scout to see Smith, and UK offered a scholarship.{{cite web| url = http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/13/1390007/mark-story-uks-smith-enters-hall.html| title = Reference at www.kentucky.com}}

Smith didn't see much action his junior season until Kentucky's star guard, Vernon Hatton, went out with an appendectomy, and for seven games, Smith averaged 16.3 points. As a senior, Smith was a starter and averaged 12.4 points per game. The Wildcats' team, known as the "Fiddlin' Five", beat Seattle University 84–72 to win the 1957–58 national championship, led by 30 points from Hatton and 24 from Johnny Cox.{{cite web| url = http://www.wildcatworld.com/kentucky-basketball-history/the-championship-teams/1957-58-national-champions/| title = 1957-1958 National Champions - Walter's Wildcat World}}{{cite web| url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1142496/2/index.htm| title = Reference at sportsillustrated.cnn.com| access-date = March 16, 2014| archive-date = March 16, 2014| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140316181702/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1142496/2/index.htm| url-status = dead}} Smith averaged just under 14 points in UK's four NCAA tourney wins, including seven in the championship game.

Smith graduated from Kentucky with a business degree.{{cite web| url = http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/13/1390007/mark-story-uks-smith-enters-hall.html| title = Reference at www.kentucky.com}}

After college

He was selected in the 1958 NBA draft, but not until the 15th round (85th overall) by the Cincinnati Royals.{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithad01.html| title = Adrian Smith Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}}

=USAF All-Stars (1959–1960)=

Instead of attempting to make the Royals, Smith joined the U.S. Army, where he played on the Army's all-star team and in 1960 was selected to play on the eventual undefeated U.S. men's basketball team that won the gold medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy.{{cite web| url = http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/13/1390007/mark-story-uks-smith-enters-hall.html| title = Reference at www.kentucky.com}} The team went 8–0 in the Olympics, led by future hall-of-famers Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, and Jerry West, although in the opening win against host Italy, Smith was the team's leading scorer, with 17 points scored.{{cite web| url = https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/game/p/gid/2/grid/A/rid/412/sid/2935/tid/379/_/1960_Olympic_Games_Tournament_for_Men/statistic.html| title = Game: USA vs ITALY (Group A) Date: 26 August 1960.}} The team's average margin of victory in the eight games was 42.4 points per game.{{cite web| url = http://www.usab.com/mens/national/moly_1960.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130929174625/http://www.usab.com/mens/national/moly_1960.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = September 29, 2013| title = Reference at www.usab.com}}

=Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1961)=

Smith played for the Akron Goodyear Wingfoots in 1961.

Professional career

=Cincinnati Royals (1961–1969)=

Smith began his professional career in the 1961–62 NBA season. During his first three seasons, he served as a backup guard behind Oscar Robertson and Bucky Bockhorn,{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1963.html| title = 1962-63 Cincinnati Royals Roster and Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}} averaging about 20 minutes per game with scoring averages of 7.2, 8.9, and 9.4, respectively.{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithad01.html| title = Adrian Smith Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}}

In his fourth season of 1964–65, he became a starter in the Royals' backcourt alongside Robertson. Playing over 34 minutes per game, he averaged 15.1 points per game, with a .456 field goal percentage and .830 free throw percentage.

The 1965–66 season was both his most productive and noteworthy. He averaged a career-high 18.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as the Royals went 45–35 and, in the Eastern Division semifinals, extended the Boston Celtics to a fifth and deciding game before falling to the eventual NBA champions.{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1966.html| title = 1965-66 Cincinnati Royals Roster and Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}} On December 15 he scored a career-high 34 points against the Celtics, and followed that up on January 5 with another career-high of 35 points. During the season, Smith was selected to the 1966 NBA All-Star Game and, surprisingly for a game that including sixteen future Hall-of-Famers, Smith was named MVP after he scored 24 points in 26 minutes.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/hof.html|title=Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=October 28, 2009}} It was his only All-Star appearance, and for winning the MVP award, he received a new Ford Galaxie car.{{cite web| url = https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-feb-13-la-sp-crowe-20110214-story.html| title = Archives - Los Angeles Times| website = Los Angeles Times| date = February 13, 2011}}

In his sixth NBA season, 1966–67, Smith averaged 16.6 points per game and led the NBA with a .903 free throw percentage and, for the fourth time, the durable Smith led the league in games played.{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithad01.html| title = Adrian Smith Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}} In 1967–68, Smith averaged 15.6 points per game in his last year as a starter.{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithad01.html| title = Adrian Smith Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}} In 1968–69, playing primarily as a backup to Robertson and Tom Van Arsdale, Smith averaged 9.6 ponts per game.{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithad01.html| title = Adrian Smith Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}}

=San Francisco Warriors (1969–1971)=

In the 1969–70 season, after 32 games with the Royals, Smith was traded to the San Francisco Warriors, for whom he played another 45 games, averaging 5.9 points per game for the season.{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithad01.html| title = Adrian Smith Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}} In 1970–71, his 10th NBA season, he played only 21 games, averaging 5.3 points per game in his final NBA season.{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithad01.html| title = Adrian Smith Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}}

=Virginia Squires (1971–1972)=

Smith played for the American Basketball Association's Virginia Squires in 1971–72, averaging 5.1 points per game. He also played 13 times for the United States.

Honors

The entire 1960 USA Olympic basketball team, including Smith, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 13, 2010.{{cite web| url = http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/13/1390007/mark-story-uks-smith-enters-hall.html| title = Reference at www.kentucky.com}} Smith is also a member of the Northeast Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame{{cite web| url = http://www.nemccathletics.com/athletics/sportshalloffame| title = NEMCC Sports Hall of Fame - Northeast Mississippi Community College Athletics}} Northeast Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=http://mccfms.org/sports_hall_of_fame |title=Mississippi Community College Foundation - Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=June 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705085358/http://www.mccfms.org/sports_hall_of_fame |archive-date=July 5, 2014 }} The Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame

Post-playing career

Smith worked for many years as a commercial relationship manager for Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank, where he currently is a vice president.{{Cite web |url=https://web.fhlbcin.com/Documents/13307%20ADVANCEMENTS%203Q%202013%20FINAL.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=March 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316171443/https://web.fhlbcin.com/Documents/13307%20ADVANCEMENTS%203Q%202013%20FINAL.pdf |archive-date=March 16, 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web| url = http://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianhsmith| title = Reference at www.linkedin.com}} He resides in Cincinnati with his wife, Paula, and he still owns the Ford Galaxie he won from the 1966 NBA All-Star Game.{{cite web| url = https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-feb-13-la-sp-crowe-20110214-story.html| title = Archives - Los Angeles Times| website = Los Angeles Times| date = February 13, 2011}}{{better source needed|reason=Outdated|date=February 2024}}

NBA/ABA career statistics

class="wikitable"

| style="background:#CFECEC; width:1em" |*

|Led the league

= Regular season =

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"

!Year

!Team

!GP

!MPG

!FG%

!FT%

!RPG

!APG

!PPG

style="text-align:left;" |1961–62

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|80

|18.3

|.405

|.775

|1.9

|2.1

|7.2

style="text-align:left;" |1962–63

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|79

|19.3

|.443

|.811

|2.2

|1.8

|8.9

style="text-align:left;" |1963–64

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|66

|23.1

|.406

|.782

|2.2

|9.4

style="text-align:left;" |1964–65

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|80

|34.3

|.456

|.830

|2.8

|3.0

|15.1

style="text-align:left;" |1965–66

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|80

|37.3

|.405

|.850

|3.6

|3.2

|18.4

style="text-align:left;" |1966–67

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|81

|32.5

|.438

|style="background:#cfecec;"|.903*

|2.5

|2.3

|16.6

style="text-align:left;" |1967–68

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|82

|33.9

|.464

|.829

|2.3

|3.3

|15.6

style="text-align:left;" |1968–69

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|73

|18.3

|.432

|.807

|1.4

|1.7

|9.6

style="text-align:left;" |1969–70

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|32

|14.2

|.405

|.867

|1.0

|1.4

|5.4

style="text-align:left;" |1969–70

| style="text-align:left;" |San Francisco

|45

|14.1

|.347

|.909

|1.1

|1.9

|6.4

style="text-align:left;" |1970–71

| style="text-align:left;" |San Francisco

|21

|11.8

|.427

|.854

|1.1

|1.4

|5.3

style="text-align:left;" |1971–72

| style="text-align:left;" |Virginia (ABA)

|53

|12.9

|.446

|.893

|.9

|.8

|5.1

class="sortbottom"

| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career

|772

|24.6

|.430

|.838

|2.1

|2.3

|11.3

= Playoffs =

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"

!Year

!Team

!GP

!MPG

!FG%

!FT%

!RPG

!APG

!PPG

style="text-align:left;" |1962

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|13.3

|.421

|1.000

|1.3

|.8

|5.3

style="text-align:left;" |1963

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|12

|16.7

|.402

|.705

|1.3

|2.3

|8.1

style="text-align:left;" |1964

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|9.4

|.308

|.714

|1.3

|.6

|3.0

style="text-align:left;" |1965

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|37.5

|.375

|.955

|2.8

|5.3

|14.3

style="text-align:left;" |1966

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|31.4

|.373

| style="background:#cfecec;" |.955*

|2.4

|2.6

|13.0

style="text-align:left;" |1967

| style="text-align:left;" |Cincinnati

|30.0

|.375

|.750

|2.0

|2.8

|11.3

style="text-align:left;" |1972

| style="text-align:left;" |Virginia (ABA)

|11

|27.0

|.465

|.865

|1.7

|1.5

|11.4

class="sortbottom"

| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career

|47

|22.2

|.402

|.832

|1.7

|2.1

|9.2

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20061207170644/http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=smithad01 NBA stats] @ databasebasketball.com
[http://www.nbrpa.com/ssp/headline_news?news_id=88 One-on-One with Adrian Smith]{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140705085358/http://www.mccfms.org/sports_hall_of_fame The Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame]
[http://www.nemccathletics.com/athletics/sportshalloffame Northeast Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110215094832/http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/1960-united-states-olympic-team 1960 United States Olympic Team page at The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]

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Book, Cincinnati's Basketball Royalty by Gerry Schultz

Category:1936 births

Category:Living people

Category:Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players

Category:American bankers

Category:American men's basketball players

Category:Basketball players at the 1959 Pan American Games

Category:Basketball players at the 1960 Summer Olympics

Category:Basketball players from Kentucky