Nolan Smith
Encyclopedia
Nolan Derek Smith is an American
professional basketball
player for the NBA's
Portland Trail Blazers
, having been selected with the 21st pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
after four years at Duke University
. As a senior, he was named a first team AP All-American and the ACC Player of the Year. As a junior, he started at shooting guard for Duke's national champion
2010 team
.
, a former swingman of nine-year NBA and University of Louisville
fame. The elder Smith was a starting forward on Louisville's 1980 NCAA championship team
. He also played for the Cardinals in the 1982 Final Four. He was a second-round draft choice of the Golden State Warriors in 1982
and went on to play for the San Diego and Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics before retiring in 1991. His career ended prematurely due to knee problems.
Derek battled Michael Jordan in a famous 1984 game at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, outscoring Jordan 66-20, and throwing down a huge dunk over him that is still famous on YouTube. Derek suffered a serious knee injury in the 11th game of the 1985-86 season. At the time he was the third-leading scorer in the NBA at 27.3 points per game.
His father died when he was eight years old, of a heart attack at age 34 while they were on a cruise ship near Bermuda. Nolan said: "I thought he was going to sleep. I saw him from far away when it happened. I got closer, and I saw them close his eyes."
Smith has a tattoo
on his right arm, with his father's likeness and the words: "Forever Watching." He said: "When I take the court, I look down at my tattoo. ... I know he's always with me, every game."
practices after his father, Derek, took their assistant coach position in 1994. Bullets players made him a frequent guest at their home games following his father's death.
during his freshman year, and then played at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
. At Oak Hill, he played alongside several future stars, including current Minnesota Timberwolves
forward Michael Beasley
and Denver Nuggets Point Guard Ty Lawson. Smith earned McDonald's All-America
honors as a high school senior in 2007.
for the Blue Devils, effectively making three-year starter (and team tri-captain) Greg Paulus
a reserve. Jon Scheyer
later took over at point, and Smith moved to shooting guard. Nolan is known as "The People's Champ" because of his dedication to his fans throughout his 4 years at Duke, using social media such as Twitter.
2009–10
March 28, 2010, Smith scored a career-high 29 points in an Elite Eight
NCAA game, as Duke beat Baylor and advanced to the Final Four
. In that game, Smith (628 points), Jon Scheyer
(690 points), and Kyle Singler
(667 points) became the second trio in Duke history to each score at least 600 points in a season; in 2001–02, Jay Williams
, Carlos Boozer
, and Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
first accomplished that feat for Duke.
Through the 2009–10 season, he was 14th on Duke's all-time list in free-throw percentage (.789). For the 2009–10 season, he was 5th in the ACC in scoring (17.4 points per game) and minutes (35.5 per game), and 7th in field goal percentage (.441).
2010-2011
Smith averaged 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during his senior season, leading Duke to a 32-5 record and a third consecutive ACC championship. Smith was named as the ACC POY, 1st Team All-ACC, and was also named to the All-American first team. Fans voted Smith The 2011 Premier Player of College Basketball over Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina) and teammate Kyle Singler. He was picked to the First Team All-America by Fox Sports. He was among the final ten candidates for the Bob Cousy Award
.
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | Duke
| 34 || 4 || 14.7 || .467 || .386 || .769 || 1.5 || 1.3 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 5.9
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Duke
| 34 || 6 || 21.6 || .426 || .346 || .849 || 2.2 || 1.7 || 0.9 || 0.1 || 8.4
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | Duke
| 38 || 38 || 35.5 || .441 || .392 || .767 || 2.8 || 3.0 || 1.2 || 0.2 || 17.4
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Duke
| 37 || 37 || 34.0 || .458 || .350 || .813 || 4.5 || 5.1 || 1.2 || 0.1 || 20.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 143 || 85 || 26.8 || .447 || .368 || .800 || 2.7 || 2.8 || 0.8 || 0.1 || 13.3
Source
.
pitcher
Nolan Ryan
. His mother, Monica, has a law degree
from Louisville. Nolan grew up with Michael Beasley
and remains best friends with him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the NBA's
National 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...
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, having been selected with the 21st pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
after four years at Duke University
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
. As a senior, he was named a first team AP All-American and the ACC Player of the Year. As a junior, he started at shooting guard for Duke's national champion
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
2010 team
2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils won the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, claiming the school's fourth national title.Duke led...
.
Family
Smith is the son of the late Derek SmithDerek Smith (basketball)
Derek Ervin Smith was an American NBA player. He won a national championship with the Louisville Cardinals in 1980, and spent nine years in the NBA in a career shortened by a knee injury. He would later become an assistant coach for the Washington Bullets from 1994 until his death.-Career:Smith...
, a former swingman of nine-year NBA and University of Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
fame. The elder Smith was a starting forward on Louisville's 1980 NCAA championship team
1979–80 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team
-NCAA basketball tournament:*Midwest**Louisville 71, Kansas State 69**Louisville 66, Texas A&M 55**Louisville 86, Louisiana State 66*Final Four** Louisville 80, Iowa 72** Louisville 59, UCLA 54-Awards and honors:...
. He also played for the Cardinals in the 1982 Final Four. He was a second-round draft choice of the Golden State Warriors in 1982
1982 NBA Draft
The 1982 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1982 at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.-Key:-Draft:-Other picks:-External links:**...
and went on to play for the San Diego and Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics before retiring in 1991. His career ended prematurely due to knee problems.
Derek battled Michael Jordan in a famous 1984 game at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, outscoring Jordan 66-20, and throwing down a huge dunk over him that is still famous on YouTube. Derek suffered a serious knee injury in the 11th game of the 1985-86 season. At the time he was the third-leading scorer in the NBA at 27.3 points per game.
His father died when he was eight years old, of a heart attack at age 34 while they were on a cruise ship near Bermuda. Nolan said: "I thought he was going to sleep. I saw him from far away when it happened. I got closer, and I saw them close his eyes."
Smith has a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on his right arm, with his father's likeness and the words: "Forever Watching." He said: "When I take the court, I look down at my tattoo. ... I know he's always with me, every game."
Early life
He frequently attended Washington BulletsWashington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
practices after his father, Derek, took their assistant coach position in 1994. Bullets players made him a frequent guest at their home games following his father's death.
High school
In high school, he played for St. John's College High SchoolSt. John's College High School
St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C., established in 1851, is the second oldest Catholic Christian Brother's school in the United States, and the oldest JROTC school. It was founded by Brother John of Mary, F.S.C., and two other Christian Brothers in St. Matthew's parish, 15th and G...
during his freshman year, and then played at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
Mouth of Wilson is an unincorporated community, in Grayson County in the U.S. state of Virginia, just north of the North Carolina state line. The community lies in the Appalachian Mountains on the western banks of the New River, where the Big Wilson Creek empties its waters. The main road through...
. At Oak Hill, he played alongside several future stars, including current Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
forward Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...
and Denver Nuggets Point Guard Ty Lawson. Smith earned McDonald's All-America
2007 McDonald's All-American Boys Game
The 2007 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game played on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the University of Louisville Cardinals. The game's rosters featured the best and most highly-recruited high school boys graduating in 2007...
honors as a high school senior in 2007.
College
Beginning his sophomore year, he was named the starter at point guardPoint 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...
for the Blue Devils, effectively making three-year starter (and team tri-captain) Greg Paulus
Greg Paulus
Gregory Russell Paulus is video coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team. Paulus is a former multi-sport athlete, playing college basketball as a point guard on the Duke University men's basketball team and later football at Syracuse University as a quarterback after...
a reserve. Jon Scheyer
Jon Scheyer
Jonathan James "Jon" Scheyer is an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He plays shooting guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Super League in that competition, the Adriatic League, and the Euroleague...
later took over at point, and Smith moved to shooting guard. Nolan is known as "The People's Champ" because of his dedication to his fans throughout his 4 years at Duke, using social media such as Twitter.
2009–10
March 28, 2010, Smith scored a career-high 29 points in an Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
NCAA game, as Duke beat Baylor and advanced to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
. In that game, Smith (628 points), Jon Scheyer
Jon Scheyer
Jonathan James "Jon" Scheyer is an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He plays shooting guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Super League in that competition, the Adriatic League, and the Euroleague...
(690 points), and Kyle Singler
Kyle Singler
Kyle Edward Singler is a professional basketball player for the Real Madrid in Spain. He was a four-year starter for the Duke men's basketball team and was instrumental in their 2010 NCAA Championship run, earning MVP of the Final Four.-High school:Singler attended South Medford High School and...
(667 points) became the second trio in Duke history to each score at least 600 points in a season; in 2001–02, Jay Williams
Jay Williams (basketball)
Jason David Williams , professionally known as Jay Williams, is a former American professional basketball player with the NBA Chicago Bulls. He last signed with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, but was waived by the Toros on December 30, 2006 to rehabilitate a nagging injury...
, Carlos Boozer
Carlos Boozer
Carlos Austin Boozer, Jr. is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association...
, and Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
Michael Joseph "Mike" Dunleavy, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association...
first accomplished that feat for Duke.
Through the 2009–10 season, he was 14th on Duke's all-time list in free-throw percentage (.789). For the 2009–10 season, he was 5th in the ACC in scoring (17.4 points per game) and minutes (35.5 per game), and 7th in field goal percentage (.441).
2010-2011
Smith averaged 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during his senior season, leading Duke to a 32-5 record and a third consecutive ACC championship. Smith was named as the ACC POY, 1st Team All-ACC, and was also named to the All-American first team. Fans voted Smith The 2011 Premier Player of College Basketball over Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina) and teammate Kyle Singler. He was picked to the First Team All-America by Fox Sports. He was among the final ten candidates for the Bob Cousy Award
Bob Cousy Award
The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. It is named after six-time National Basketball Association champion Bob Cousy, who played point guard for the Boston Celtics...
.
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
2007-08 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 2007–08 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University. The Head Coach was Mike Krzyzewski, serving for his 28th year. The team played its home games in Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The team finished with a 28–6 record, while making it to the second...
| align="left" | Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
| 34 || 4 || 14.7 || .467 || .386 || .769 || 1.5 || 1.3 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 5.9
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
2008-09 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Mike Krzyzewski, who served for his 29th year. The team played its home games in Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina...
| align="left" | Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
| 34 || 6 || 21.6 || .426 || .346 || .849 || 2.2 || 1.7 || 0.9 || 0.1 || 8.4
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
| 38 || 38 || 35.5 || .441 || .392 || .767 || 2.8 || 3.0 || 1.2 || 0.2 || 17.4
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Returning as head coach was Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. The team played its home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina and are members of the...
| align="left" | Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
| 37 || 37 || 34.0 || .458 || .350 || .813 || 4.5 || 5.1 || 1.2 || 0.1 || 20.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 143 || 85 || 26.8 || .447 || .368 || .800 || 2.7 || 2.8 || 0.8 || 0.1 || 13.3
Source
NBA
Nolan Smith was chosen in the first round (21st overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft draft by the Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
.
Personal
He was named after Hall of FameNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
. His mother, Monica, has a law degree
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Louisville. Nolan grew up with Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...
and remains best friends with him.