Al Smith (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Alan Richard "Al" Smith (born January 15, 1947) is a retired basketball player who played for five seasons in the American Basketball Association
. A point guard
during his career, he played for the Denver Rockets and Utah Stars
and once lead the ABA in assist
s in a season.
. He also attended Manual High School
in Peoria. Smith played basketball, football, and baseball at Manual, earning All-State honors in all three sports. His baseball skill was such that the Chicago White Sox
drafted him in the 7th round of the inaugural Major League Baseball Draft
in 1965. Instead of signing with the White Sox, he opted to attend college.
He was given offers to attend USC
and Notre Dame
, but he chose to attend Bradley University
as a basketball and baseball player. Smith spent four years at Bradley, though his time in college was interrupted by a two-year stint in the United States Army
. As a college basketball player, he scored over 1,000 points for Bradley and was named first team All-Missouri Valley Conference
in 1971 during his senior season. His college success was honored in 2004 when he was selected to Bradley's All-Century team.
's Chicago Bulls
in the 11th round of the NBA Draft
. He was also a 4th round draft pick of the American Basketball Association
's Denver Rockets in a separate draft. Smith chose to sign with the Rockets, and he would go on to play for the club for three seasons. In his first season, he served as the backup to point guard Larry Brown
while averaging nine points and three assists per game.
Smith became the Rockets' regular point guard during the 1972–1973 season after Brown took a job as head coach. He scored a career-best eleven-plus points per game in his second season, while averaging five-and-a-half assists per game. His scoring decreased slightly in the 1973–1974 season but he went on to average eight assists per game, and would lead the ABA in assists.
in exchange for a draft pick and cash. In his first season with the Stars, he averaged a career-low eight points per game, while also averaging four-and-a-half assists per contest.
His second season with the Stars lasted only fifteen games before the Stars folded in December. A persistent knee injury eventually ended his career after five seasons. He retired having scored over 3,200 points and having dished out over 1,700 assists.
er in Denver, also working at a cable television supply company. For a year-and-a-half, he served as an assistant head coach at Manual High School, helping lead the school to two state champions. As of 2007, Smith was working in Paterson, New Jersey
as a school counselor
.
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. A point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
during his career, he played for the Denver Rockets and Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
and once lead the ABA in assist
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
s in a season.
Early life
Smith was born in Peoria, IllinoisPeoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. He also attended Manual High School
Manual High School (Peoria, Illinois)
Manual High School is a public high school located in the south end of Peoria, Illinois. It is the southernmost of the three city high schools operated by the Peoria Public Schools. Manual opened in 1909 and moved from its Lincoln avenue site to a new building located at 811 S...
in Peoria. Smith played basketball, football, and baseball at Manual, earning All-State honors in all three sports. His baseball skill was such that the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
drafted him in the 7th round of the inaugural Major League Baseball Draft
1965 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1965 Major League Baseball Draft is the first year in which a draft took place for Major League Baseball.In Major League Baseball's first Free Agent Amateur Draft, the Kansas City Athletics selected Arizona State sophomore Rick Monday as the number one pick...
in 1965. Instead of signing with the White Sox, he opted to attend college.
He was given offers to attend USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, but he chose to attend Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
as a basketball and baseball player. Smith spent four years at Bradley, though his time in college was interrupted by a two-year stint in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. As a college basketball player, he scored over 1,000 points for Bradley and was named first team All-Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
in 1971 during his senior season. His college success was honored in 2004 when he was selected to Bradley's All-Century team.
Denver Rockets
In 1971, Smith was drafted by the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in the 11th round of the NBA Draft
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
. He was also a 4th round draft pick of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
's Denver Rockets in a separate draft. Smith chose to sign with the Rockets, and he would go on to play for the club for three seasons. In his first season, he served as the backup to point guard Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
while averaging nine points and three assists per game.
Smith became the Rockets' regular point guard during the 1972–1973 season after Brown took a job as head coach. He scored a career-best eleven-plus points per game in his second season, while averaging five-and-a-half assists per game. His scoring decreased slightly in the 1973–1974 season but he went on to average eight assists per game, and would lead the ABA in assists.
Utah Stars
Before the 1974–1975 season, Smith was traded to the Utah StarsUtah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
in exchange for a draft pick and cash. In his first season with the Stars, he averaged a career-low eight points per game, while also averaging four-and-a-half assists per contest.
His second season with the Stars lasted only fifteen games before the Stars folded in December. A persistent knee injury eventually ended his career after five seasons. He retired having scored over 3,200 points and having dished out over 1,700 assists.
Post-basketball life
Smith went on to become a social workSocial work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er in Denver, also working at a cable television supply company. For a year-and-a-half, he served as an assistant head coach at Manual High School, helping lead the school to two state champions. As of 2007, Smith was working in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
as a school counselor
School counselor
A school counselor is a counselor and an educator who works in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide academic, career, college access, and personal/social competencies to K-12 students...
.