LaBradford Smith

Last updated

LaBradford Smith
Personal information
Born (1969-04-03) April 3, 1969 (age 56)
Bay City, Texas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school Bay City (Bay City, Texas)
College Louisville (1987–1991)
NBA draft 1991: 1st round, 19th overall pick
Drafted by Washington Bullets
Playing career1991–2000
Position Shooting guard
Number22, 15
Career history
19911993 Washington Bullets
1993–1994 Sacramento Kings
1994 Rapid City Thrillers
1994–1996 Quad City Thunder
1996–1997 León Caja España
1997–1998MKS Znicz Basket Pruszków
1998–1999 Śląsk Wrocław
1999–2000 Baltimore Bayrunners
Career highlights
Career NBA statistics
Points 1,218 (6.7 ppg)
Rebounds 271 (1.5 rpg)
Assists 394 (2.2 apg)
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing Flag of the United States.svg United States
FIBA U19 World Championship
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1987 Bormio Team competition

LaBradford Corvey Smith (born April 3, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player.

Contents

Career

Smith went to Bay City High School in Bay City, Texas. He played collegiately at the University of Louisville before being selected by the Washington Bullets in the 1st round (19th overall) of the 1991 NBA draft. [1]

Smith played in three NBA seasons from 1991 to 1994. His best year as a pro came during the 1992–93 season as a member of the Bullets, when he appeared in 69 games and averaged 9.3 ppg. During the 1993–94 season, he was waived by the Bullets and spent the rest of the season playing for the Sacramento Kings. He later on played in the CBA [2] and overseas in Europe.

Smith is known for scoring 37 points on Michael Jordan in a road game against the Chicago Bulls on March 19, 1993. He shot 15–20 from the floor, and 7–7 from the foul line. However, the Bullets lost 104–99. Jordan claimed Smith had the audacity to say "Nice game, Mike" after the game. The following day the teams played again in Washington D.C. Jordan proceeded to score 36 points in the first half as retribution for the alleged slight from the previous day. It turns out “Nice game, Mike” was never actually said, but was a made up story by Michael Jordan to motivate himself to perform better against Smith. [3] [4]

References

  1. John Marx (December 31, 1994). "Smith hopes to fire up talents". The Rock Island Argus . p. D2. Retrieved February 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. John Marx (April 11, 1995). "Befuddled 'Bradford a QC boon". The Dispatch . pp. D1, D3 . Retrieved February 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. Adande, J.A. (September 14, 2009). "Jordan's speech just another MJ dagger". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  4. Sam Smith (October 13, 1993). "A lesson in excellence, a statement of pride, a show of force". Chicago Tribune . p. 157. Retrieved February 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg