Vernon Smith (basketball)

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Vernon Smith

| image = Vernon Smith basketball.jpeg

| image_size =

| caption = Smith with the Texas A&M Aggies

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1958|10|23}}

| birth_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|7|7|1958|10|23}}

| death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 8

| weight_lbs = 220

| high_school = David W. Carter (Dallas, Texas)

| college = Texas A&M (1977–1981)

| draft_year = 1981

| draft_round = 2

| draft_pick = 46

| draft_team = Philadelphia 76ers

| career_start = 1982

| career_end = 1987

| career_number =

| career_position = Power forward

| years1 = 1982–1983

| team1 = Las Vegas Silvers

| years2 = 1983

| team2 = Albany Patroons

| years3 = 1983

| team3 = Wisconsin Flyers

| years4 = 1983–1984

| team4 = Pallacanestro Vigevano

| years5 = 1984–1985

| team5 = Corona Cremona

| years6 = 1985–1986

| team6 = RCD Espanyol

| years7 = 1986–1987

| team7 = CEB Llíria

| highlights =

3× First-team All-SWC (1979–1981)
Second-team All-SWC (1978)

}}

Vernon Dean Smith (October 23, 1958 – July 7, 1992) was an American professional basketball player.

Playing career

Smith attended David W. Carter High School in his hometown of Dallas, Texas.{{cite news |title=Aggies all-time leading scorer shot and killed in Dallas |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/14631089/ |access-date=September 1, 2020 |work=New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung |date=July 9, 1992 |page=7}} He played college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies, where he was an All-SWC selection every season he played.{{cite web |title=Vernon Smith |url=https://12thman.com/hof.aspx?hof=219 |website=Texas A&M University |access-date=20 February 2020}} Smith ranks second in total points scored for the Aggies.{{efn|Smith held the record for total points scored until he was surpassed by Bernard King in 2003.}}{{cite web |title=19–20 Record Book |url=https://12thman.com/documents/2019/11/6/RecordBook_MBB_1920.pdf |website=Texas A&M University |access-date=20 February 2020}} Smith was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the 46th overall pick in the 1981 NBA draft but never played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Instead, Smith spent one season with multiple teams in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) before playing in Italy and Spain. In February 1982, Smith signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons but never played with the team.{{Cite news|title=BASKETBALL|newspaper=The Record|date=February 7, 1982|page=2}} In October 1982, Smith was signed by the Indiana Pacers but was released later that month before the start of the 1982–83 NBA season.{{Cite news|title=BASKETBALL|newspaper=Statesman Journal|date=October 20, 1982|page=10}}

Later life and death

After playing his final season in 1986–87 with CEB Llíria, Smith returned to his hometown of Dallas, Texas. He worked as a clerk at Sears and was a church organist.{{cite web |last1=Guard |first1=Sally |title=BRETT JOINS THE 3,000 CLUB...DURAN WANTS IRAN...GOODBYE TO TWO HISTORIC FIGURES |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1992/10/12/106784422/brett-joins-the-3000-clubduran-wants-irangoodbye-to-two-historic-figures |website=Sports Illustrated |access-date=20 February 2020 |date=12 October 1992}}

Smith was fatally shot in a case of mistaken identity. He had been sitting in his car outside an Oak Cliff apartment block when a man, who had argued with a dice game opponent moments earlier, approached Smith and shot him.{{cite web |title=Ex-Aggie Smith Shot to Death |url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/ex-aggie-smith-shot-to-death/article_b95a02e0-7d91-579f-901a-4639019bd058.html |website=Tulsa World |access-date=20 February 2020 |date=9 July 1992}}

Smith was inducted to the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.