(photo by Amin Eshaker)
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.
Since March Madness is upon us I feel like there is no better time to pay tribute to a former college basketball great. A popular pick to win this year’s tournament is Michigan State – even President Obama picked them – and this player may have been the greatest shooting Spartan to ever lace up a pair of sneakers. It would be easy to go with Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell or Mateen Cleaves, who won the national title in 2000 wearing the green and white (actually please e-mail/tweet me if you have a Charlie Bell update because I don’t believe his twitter handle is seriously @Flintstone14). But the man featured this week is the all-time leading scorer at the school, Steve Smith.
We all know Magic Johnson is obviously the best player to ever come out of the Big Ten powerhouse in East Lansing, but there is a strong case for Smith to be number two on that list. He attended Michigan State from 1987 to 1991 and had his jersey retired by the school after his basketball career ended. He was voted to be an NCAA All-American in both his junior and senior years while leading the Spartans in scoring. He was always able to get the ball up in a flash and if opponents played too tight, then he had the quickness to beat them off the dribble for an easy two. Every night he posed a threat to get hot and defenders had to be on their toes at all times when he was in the gym.
Smith’s college play earned high praise from many scouts and he was taken fifth overall in the 1991 draft by the Miami Heat. He was in the starting lineup immediately alongside former University of Michigan star Glen Rice. Smith’s game translated well in the NBA and he earned All-Rookie First Team honors while scoring 12 points per game. He played two more seasons for Miami and was really starting to flourish as an all-around scorer. But the team was nonetheless struggling and needed to make a move. They traded Smith to Atlanta for the ageless Kevin Willis and a future first round pick (which ended up being Walter McCarty). It was now time for Smith to be showcased as a legitimate scoring option on a contender.
Smith led the Hawks to the second round of the playoffs in his second year with the team. During this time, he and Mookie Blaylock combined to be one of the most exciting NBA backcourts through the 90’s. The team was also helped out by all-time NCAA tournament legend Christian Laettner. The Hawks were then bolstered by the acquisition of Dikembe Mutombo before the 1996-97 season and won a franchise record 56 games before being bounced by the Bulls in the Conference Semifinals.
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Atlanta was never able to reach the Eastern Conference Finals during Smith’s tenure with the team as the conference was loaded with talent year after year. He did make his lone All-Star team during the 1997-98 season and scored 14 points in the game. He spent his last season in Atlanta during the lockout shortened season of 1999 while leading the team in scoring for the fourth straight year. Smith, still seen as a quality shooting guard and a valuable piece to a contender, was traded in the summer of 1999 to Portland for Jim Jackson and Isiah Rider.
He was put into the starting lineup along with Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, Damon Stoudamire, and Arvydas Sabonis on a team that won 59 regular season games. The Blazers were poised for an NBA Championship and were one of the favorites to come out of the West. They made it all the way to conference championship before being beaten in a classic seven game series against the Lakers. Smith was the second leading scorer on the team and was also the one given the task to guard Kobe Bryant throughout the series.
The following summer, Smith was selected to represent Team USA in the 2000 Olympics. Known as a veteran presence and knockdown shooter, the choice was easy by the selection committee (It also helped that a number of NBA stars declined the invitation, but still). The team went to Sydney and didn’t lose a single game on their way to winning the Gold Medal.
Even after his Olympic run, he was delegated to a part-time starting role when he returned to the Blazers. The team didn’t have near as much success as the previous season and were not able to reach their full potential. They were swept in the first round of the playoffs and the window had closed for a chance to bring a championship to Portland.
It was time for a change of scenery once again for the standout from Michigan State, as he was sent to San Antonio in a trade that included 90’s basketball mainstay Steve Kerr. Back in the starting lineup, Smith led the entire NBA in three-point shooting at an astounding 47% in 2001/02. He was a perfect fit in the Spurs offense that featured a lot of passes from the post to find open shooters. He then was given the role as a locker room leader and a veteran off the bench in his second year in San Antonio while nursing multiple injuries. The team finished with the best record in the league and carried that momentum all the way through the playoffs to win the 2003 NBA Championship. This was Steve’s only championship and one that he really earned after so many early playoff exits with the Heat, Hawks, and Blazers.
He played his next season with the New Orleans Hornets, then became a free agent and went to the newly formed Charlotte Bobcats the following year. Later that same year, he ended his career right where it started by playing 13 games for the Miami Heat. A long, great NBA career had finally come full circle and it was time to hang it up.
For all of the work that Smith did on the floor, he worked just as hard off of it. In 1997, he donated a whopping $2.5 million to Michigan State to help fund a Student Academic Center. He also donated $600,000 in 2001 to set up a scholarship fund that goes toward one student per year that attended his former high school in Detroit. Smith is also known for spending some of his free time doing community work and making local appearances in Atlanta. He is in a class of his own when it comes to athletes not forgetting their roots and thanking the people who helped them along the way. His donations were recognized by the league as he won the Citizenship Award and the Sportsmanship Award during his playing days.
Smith now works for NBA TV as an analyst and as an occasional broadcaster. He is also currently working in studio for this year’s NCAA tournament on CBS. From outside shooting to beating defenses off the dribble, he will always be known as a player who could do it all on the hardwood. He is in an elite group of guys who were able to capture an Olympic Gold Medal and NBA Championship. He has more accomplishments in his career than most athletes could even dream about. But above all, Steve Smith was truly a professional who always carried himself with class both on and off the court. And that is something that should never be forgotten.
Enjoy the tournament!
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
Rik Smits – Forgotten 90's Player of the Week
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