Tohi Smith-Milner

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Tohi Smith-Milner

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| position = Power forward

| height_cm = 205

| weight_kg = 117

| league = NZNBL

| team = Canterbury Rams

| number = 18

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1995|10|06}}

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| high_school = Rosmini College
(Auckland, New Zealand)

| college = Polk State (2014–2015)

| career_start = 2012

| career_end =

| years1 = 2012

| team1 = Auckland Pirates

| years2 = 2013–2015

| team2 = Super City Rangers

| years3 = 2015–2020

| team3 = Melbourne United

| years4 = 2016

| team4 = Sandringham Sabres

| years5 = 2017

| team5 = Canterbury Rams

| years6 = 2017

| team6 = Frankston Blues

| years7 = 2018

| team7 = Nelson Giants

| years8 = 2019

| team8 = Kilsyth Cobras

| years9 = 2020

| team9 = Auckland Huskies

| years10 = 2021

| team10 = Wellington Saints

| years11 = 2021–2023

| team11 = South East Melbourne Phoenix

| years12 = 2022

| team12 = Sandringham Sabres

| years13 = 2023–2024

| team13 = Wellington Saints

| years14 = 2023–2024

| team14 = Adelaide 36ers

| years15 = 2024–present

| team15 = Brisbane Bullets

| years16 = 2025–present

| team16 = Canterbury Rams

| highlights =

NBL champion (2018)
2× NZNBL champion (2012, 2021)
First-team All-Suncoast Conference (2015)

|medaltemplates=

{{MedalCountry|{{NZL}}}}

}}

Tohiraukura Makaere Smith-Milner (born 6 October 1995) is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Canterbury Rams of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is also contracted with the Brisbane Bullets of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He has previously played in the Australian NBL for Melbourne United, South East Melbourne Phoenix and Adelaide 36ers, and has represented the New Zealand Tall Blacks.

Early life

Smith-Milner was born and raised in Auckland,{{cite web |title=Tohiraukura Smith-Milner |url=https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/97737/sid/8110/tid/337/tid2//_/2017_FIBA_Asia_Cup/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614063836/https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/97737/sid/8110/tid/337/tid2//_/2017_FIBA_Asia_Cup/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 June 2020 |website=fiba.com |access-date=14 June 2020}} where he attended Rosmini College and played junior basketball for Waitakere.{{cite web |title=Tohi Smith-Milner |url=https://nz.basketball/nz_player/tohi-smith-milner/ |website=nz.basketball |access-date=1 April 2020}}

Professional career

=NZNBL and Australian state leagues=

Smith-Milner started his professional career in 2012 with the championship-winning Auckland Pirates in the New Zealand NBL. He joined the Super City Rangers in 2013 but did not play, going on to make his debut for the Rangers 2014 and averaging 12.7 points per game.{{cite web|url=https://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=206393673&client=11-8336-139540-298804-26513906|title=Player statistics for Tohi Smith-Milner|website=NZNBL|access-date=14 June 2020}}

After a season in the United States playing college basketball for Polk State College in 2014–15,{{cite web|url=https://polkeagles.com/sports/mbkb/2014-15/players/tohiraukurasmithmilnervwli|title=Tohiraukura Smith-Milner|website=polkeagles.com|access-date=14 June 2020}} Smith-Milner re-joined the Rangers for the 2015 season.

In 2016, Smith-Milner played for the Sandringham Sabres in the SEABL. In 2017, he played for both the Canterbury Rams in the New Zealand NBL and the Frankston Blues in the SEABL. He played for the Nelson Giants in the New Zealand NBL in 2018 and the Kilsyth Cobras in the NBL1 in 2019.{{cite web |title=TALL BLACK TOHI SMITH-MILNER SIGNS WITH COBRAS |url=http://www.kilsythbasketball.com.au/smith-milner-nbl1/ |website=kilsythbasketball.com |date=20 March 2019 |access-date=1 April 2020}} He played for the Auckland Huskies in 2020,{{cite web|url=https://www.aucklandhuskies.co.nz/auckland-huskies-sign-tohi-smith-milner-for-the-2020-sals-nbl-showdown/|title=Auckland Huskies Draft Tohi-Smith Milner|website=aucklandhuskies.co.nz|date=12 June 2020|access-date=14 June 2020}} the Wellington Saints in 2021,{{cite web|url=https://www.saints.co.nz/news/article/?L=0&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=357&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=57b4ff6f6f9dee5c1fb566bede9467aa|title=Tohi Smith-Milner locked in for 2021|website=saints.co.nz|date=1 February 2021|access-date=1 February 2021}} and the Sandringham Sabres in 2022.{{cite web|url=https://sandringhamsabres.nbl1.com.au/player/bc4019e6-1695-11ec-add4-9e9119a224b2/30efcca7-bb0b-11ec-adcc-a916cb7660c2/tohiraukura-smithmilner|title=Tohiraukura Smith-Milner|website=nbl1.com.au|access-date=1 October 2022}}

Smith-Milner joined the Wellington Saints in 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.saints.co.nz/news/article/?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=410&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=4035516c9e4ae3029ce0c0af05521e36|title=Tohi Smith-Milner Returns for 2023|website=saints.co.nz|date=3 February 2023|access-date=3 February 2023}} He re-joined the Saints in 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.saints.co.nz/news/article/tohi-smith-milner-returns-for-2024|title=Tohi Smith-Milner Returns for 2024|website=saints.co.nz|date=7 March 2024|access-date=7 March 2024}}

Smith-Milner joined the Canterbury Rams for the 2025 season, returning for the franchise for the first time since 2017.{{cite web |url=https://canterburyrams.basketball/rams-secure-services-of-tohi-smith-milner/ |title=Rams Secure Services of Tohi Smith-Milner |website=Canterbury Rams |date=3 March 2025 |access-date=3 March 2025}}

=Australian NBL=

In 2015, Smith-Milner joined Melbourne United of the Australian NBL. He spent three seasons as a development player before signing a full-time contract in 2018.{{cite web |title=Smith-Milner elevated to contracted playing roster |url=http://www.melbourneutd.com.au/news/article/smith-milner-elevated-to-contracted-playing-roster |website=melbourneutd.com |access-date=1 April 2020}}{{cite web |title=Tohi Smith-Milner is UNITED! |url=https://www.melbourneutd.com.au/news/article/tohi-smith-milner-is-united |website=melbourneutd.com |access-date=1 April 2020}} He spent two seasons with United as a fully contracted player.{{cite web |title=Tohi Smith-Milner |url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tohi-Smith-Milner/Summary/40192 |website=realgm.com |access-date=13 August 2021}}

On 13 August 2021, Smith-Milner signed a two-year deal with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, with the second year being a Club Option.{{cite web |title=Smith-Milner Signs in South East Melbourne |url=https://nbl.com.au/news/smith-milner-signs-in-south-east-melbourne |website=NBL.com.au |access-date=13 August 2021 |date=13 August 2021}}

On 26 August 2023, Smith-Milner signed with the Adelaide 36ers for the 2023–24 NBL season.{{cite web |title=36ers signs big man Tohi Smith-Milner |url=https://www.adelaide36ers.com/news/36ers-signs-big-man-tohi-smith-milner |website=adelaide36ers.com |access-date=26 August 2023 |date=26 August 2023}}

On 19 April 2024, Smith-Milner signed a two-year deal with the Brisbane Bullets.{{cite web |title=Brisbane adds championship-winning big |url=https://nbl.com.au/news/brisbane-adds-championship-winning-big |website=NBL.com.au |access-date=19 April 2024 |date=19 April 2024}} In November 2024, he played his 150th NBL game.{{cite news |title=New dad Tohi reaches 150 NBL games |url=https://www.brisbanebullets.com.au/news/new-dad-tohi-reaches-150-nbl-games |access-date=17 November 2024 |work=Brisbane Bullets {{!}} Official NBL Website |date=16 November 2024}} On 21 February 2025, the Bullets exercised the club option in his contract for the 2025–26 season.{{cite news |title=Tohi Smith-Milner Commits to Brisbane Bullets |url=https://www.brisbanebullets.com.au/news/tohi-smith-milner-commits-to-brisbane-bullets |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=Brisbane Bullets {{!}} Official NBL Website |date=21 February 2025}}

National team career

Smith-Milner played for the New Zealand Tall Blacks in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon, where he averaged 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds.{{cite web |title=Tohi SMITH-MILNER |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/asiacup/2017/player/Tohi-Smith-Milner |website=fiba.basketball |access-date=1 April 2020}} The following year, he was a member of the bronze-medal winning Tall Blacks squad at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2019, he played in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, where he averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds.{{cite web |title=Tohi SMITH-MILNER |url=http://www.fiba.basketball/de/basketballworldcup/2019/player/Tohi-Smith-Milner |website=fiba.basketball |access-date=1 April 2020}}

In July 2022, Smith-Milner helped New Zealand win bronze at the FIBA Asia Cup. He was subsequently named to the All-Star Five.{{cite web |title=TALL BLACKS DISPATCH JORDAN TO CLAIM BRONZE AT FIBA ASIA CUP |url=https://nz.basketball/tall-blacks-dispatch-jordan-to-claim-bronze-at-fiba-asia-cup/ |website=nz.basketball |date=25 July 2022 |access-date=25 July 2022}}

In July 2023, Smith-Milner was named in the Tall Blacks squad for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.{{cite web|url=https://nz.basketball/tall-blacks-squad-of-14-named-for-world-cup-prep-tour/|title=TALL BLACKS SQUAD OF 14 NAMED FOR WORLD CUP PREP TOUR|work=nz.basketball|date=31 July 2023|access-date=1 August 2023}}

In May 2025, Smith-Milner was named in the Tall Blacks squad for a trans-Tasman series against Australia.{{cite news |title=INTRODUCING THE TRANS-TASMAN THROWDOWN SQUADS {{!}}Basketball New Zealand |url=https://nz.basketball/coaches-name-their-squads-for-the-trans-tasman-throwdown/ |access-date=10 May 2025 |work=nz.basketball |date=6 May 2025 |language=en-AU}}