Pete Smith (basketball)
 Smith with the Valdosta State Blazers during the 1968–69 season | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1947 (age 76–77) Albany, Georgia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Valdosta State (1968–1969) |
| NBA draft | 1971: 13th round, 197th overall pick |
| Selected by the Buffalo Braves | |
| Playing career | 1970–1976 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 53 |
| Career history | |
| 1970–1971 | Hartford Capitols |
| 1971–1972 | Cherry Hill Demons |
| 1972 | San Diego Conquistadors |
| 1974–1975 | Allentown Jets |
| 1975–1976 | Wilkes-Barre Barons |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Pete Smith (born 1947) is an American former professional basketball player.
Smith was born in Albany, Georgia, and grew up in the rural southern area of the state.[1][2] He joined the Cincinnati Bearcats to play college basketball but returned to Georgia without playing due to homesickness.[3] Smith instead played for the Valdosta State Blazers, where he was the first black athlete in the school's history.[2] He led the team in points, and set school records for most field goals attempted and best rebound average during his only season with the Blazers.[4][1] Smith was drafted by the Buffalo Braves as the 197th overall pick of the 1971 NBA draft.[5] He played five games in the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a member of the San Diego Conquistadors during the 1972–73 season. Smith spent time in training camp with the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) but never played in an NBA game.[2] He was one of the final cuts of the New York Nets of the ABA before the start of the 1975–76 season.[2]
Smith played four seasons in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) with the Hartford Capitols, Cherry Hill Demons, Allentown Jets and Wilkes-Barre Barons.[6]
Smith worked as a truck driver in Atlanta after his retirement from basketball.[3] His son, Josh Smith, played professionally in the NBA.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Pete Smith". The Draft Review. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Abrams, Jonathan (May 6, 2015). "Josh Smith, From Deep". Grantland. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "Atlanta's Grant Park: The NBA Summer League Before The NBA's Summer League". NBA. December 15, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "Valdosta State College Basketball 1986–87" (PDF). Valdosta State College. 1986. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "1971 NBA draft choices". basketball-reference.com.
- ^ "Pete Smith minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Basketball Reference
- nasljerseys.com
 | This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1947 births
- Living people
- 21st-century African-American sportsmen
- 20th-century African-American sportsmen
- Allentown Jets players
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball players from Georgia (U.S. state)
- Buffalo Braves draft picks
- Hartford Capitols players
- Power forwards
- San Diego Conquistadors players
- Sportspeople from Albany, Georgia
- Valdosta State Blazers men's basketball players
- Wilkes-Barre Barons players
- American basketball biography, 1940s birth stubs