The 90's era of the NBA is an era that stands apart from all other decades throughout the history of basketball. It is defined not only by the greatest player of all-time but it also seemed as if every player in the league had a certain swagger about them. The play was hard-nosed, the players were tough, the jerseys were cool, and the haircuts were even cooler. This 10 year span has a certain nostalgia about it which makes it fun to look back at. Players fade out of memory over time as with everything else in this world but it is my job to bring some of these 90's players back to the forefront of your memory with this new feature called Forgotten 90’s Player of the Week.
This week’s feature is on a giant who always played to his strengths and was right in the middle of the most heated rivalry in all of basketball throughout the better part of a decade; “The Dunkin’ Dutchman” Rik Smits. Smits was considered as a league-wide fan favorite who enjoyed life both on and off the court. He was always regarded as a top 10 NBA center during each of his twelve seasons but was overshadowed by the more dominant big men like Olajuwon, Ewing, O’Neal, and David Robinson. The Dunkin’ Dutchman was a player who was consistent on a night in, night out basis and was willing to go to war every single game. Not to mention he probably had the coolest nickname of the 90’s. But honorable mentions go to the “The Glove” Gary Payton, “Big Country” Bryant Reeves, “Grandmama” Larry Johnson, and “Luscious” Luc Longley (I might have made that last one up).
The 7 foot 4 inch behemoth from the Netherlands came over to the United States and played his college ball at Marist, a small Division I school in southern New York. Smits actually led the team to two NCAA tournament appearances during his time there and was the two-time conference player of the year. His size is obviously what caught the eye of many NBA scouts and he was taken second overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 1988 draft. He was brought in initially to be the backup center during his rookie season but due to a career ending injury to Steve Stipanovich, Smits became the starting center for almost the entire year. He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team and the future was nothing but bright for the humble kid who sported a blonde mullet.
Smits and the Pacers began to take on the role of being one of the NBA’s most physically imposing teams. Smits led the league in fouls during his second year and word was starting to get around not to come down the lane in Indianapolis. And if you decided to come in the paint you usually got your shot blocked or you got put on your back – sometimes opponents got both results on the same play. The Pacers were able to battle their way to the playoffs in 1990, but they were beaten at their own game as they went up against the “Bad Boy” Pistons, arguably the hardest hitting team in NBA history, in the first round and were dispatched easily by the future champions.
But the building blocks were in place for the Pacers to contend in the Eastern Conference for years to come in part because of Smits and their fearless leader Reggie Miller. The playoffs began to be a yearly occurrence for the once laughing stock Pacers throughout the early 90’s, and it always seemed to culminate against their most hated rival, the New York Knicks. Now if you’re a fan of 90’s basketball, then you unquestionably remember Knicks-Pacers playoff games for being knockdown, drag out dog fights. The physical style of these games played off of the style that Smits had become accustomed to during the first few years of his career, so he was right at home battling on the block with Patrick Ewing.
Smits and Indiana were sent home by the Knicks in the 1993 and the 1994 playoffs, but they were finally able to exact some revenge in 1995 when they eliminated the defending Eastern Conference Champion Knicks in an epic seven game series during the conference semifinals. Unfortunately, Smits was matched up with Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic in the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals and he was unable to slow down the young superstar as the Magic won a tough seven game series.
The Pacers were a model of consistency during Smits’ tenure with the team as they made the playoffs 10 out of the 12 years he played on the team. He made his only All-Star team during the 1997-98 season and had a standout highlight during the game when he showed off his passing skills.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=
R6ZF8inrSwM[/youtube]
In 2000, the Pacers were finally able to get over the hump and reach the Finals under legendary player now turned coach Larry Bird. Smits was playing through lingering injuries all year so he wasn’t able to log big time minutes against the O’Neal-led Los Angeles Lakers. Nevertheless, he was still able to start all six games. But it was not meant to be for Indiana as Shaq put together one of the most dominating series of games ever seen in the Finals. The self-proclaimed Superman averaged over 38 points while grabbing almost 17 rebounds per game. A beaten down Pacer team was no match as they lost the series four games to two.
Smits retired from the league after the 2000 Finals due to nagging foot problems that were a result from wearing tight shoes as a kid. After his playing days, he didn’t go the usual route of a retired NBA player by becoming an assistant coach, color commentator, or entrepreneur. The soft spoken giant went down a completely different path and now spends his time collecting and racing classic motocross motorcycles. Smits stood out on the basketball court amongst other monstrous men but seeing him racing a motorcycle is in a whole other category of standing out.
The Dunkin’ Dutchman spent his entire career with the Indiana Pacers and was the face of the franchise along with Reggie Miller. Smits was chosen by the fans to be on the Pacers 40th anniversary team. He was a part of something great in Indiana even if the end result wasn’t a championship. He and Reggie helped pull the team out of the basement of the league and turned winning into a franchise tradition that is still going today.
He trails only former Jazz center Mark Eaton for the most games played by a player over 7 feet tall in NBA history. His career was indeed cut short by injury but it is rare that a player his size gets the chance to play longer than a few seasons and even more rare is the fact that he remained effective for the full length of his career.
The league is now driven by small-ball teams who score at a high rate and don’t have much of a need for a 7-foot menace clogging the paint. But this year’s Pacers team is the contrary as they rely on the 90’s throwback style of their center Roy Hibbert to defend the rim. Hibbert has a chance to pass Smits as the greatest center in team history if his career continues the way it’s going. But eventually being second is something that I’m sure the Dutchman is fine with as long as it means that the team is winning.
He has mostly stayed out of the spotlight since retirement, but can be regularly seen when attending his son’s high school basketball games in small town Zionsville, Indiana. So if you happen to be in Indiana and see an abnormally tall guy popping a wheelie on a dirt bike alongside the road, you should probably stop and watch, not only because it’s a strange sight but because it’s more than likely an all-time NBA center living life to fullest without a care in the world.
Taylor Luchtefeld is an NBA addict who writes for The Hoops Manifesto in his spare time. He welcomes your comments on Twitter at @TLucky33 or via email at [email protected]
*In case you missed it:
· Glen Rice- Forgotten 90’s Player of the Week
· Cedric Ceballos- Forgotten 90’s Player of the Week
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
