Speedy Smith
Kenneth J. "Speedy" Smith Jr. (born January 28, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League. He was named Conference USA Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2015.[1]
| Maccabi Haifa | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Israeli Premier League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 28, 1993 St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Boca Ciega (Gulfport, Florida) |
| College | Louisiana Tech (2011–2015) |
| NBA draft | 2015 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2015–present |
| Career history | |
| 2015 | VEF Rīga |
| 2016–2017 | Los Angeles D-Fenders |
| 2017–2019 | Grand Rapids Drive |
| 2019 | Szolnoki Olaj |
| 2019–2020 | Spirou |
| 2020–present | Antwerp Giants |
| 2020–present | Maccabi Haifa |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life
Smith was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida and attended Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport. He was given the nickname, Speedy, after his grandmother said, "That's Speedy" when he was born.[2] Smith grew up as an athletics star and started out with football. Smith primarily played the quarterback position, his father saying, "I actually thought football was his better sport. He was a leader all the way through. He knew how to prepare his players and get them in the right position on the field."[2] However, Smith later chose to start playing basketball because he felt that it would lower his chance of getting injured.[2]
As a senior playing basketball for Boca Ciega, Smith averaged 18 points, 9.6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.[1]
College career
Smith played four years of college basketball for Louisiana Tech. In 140 games, he averaged 6.2 points, 6.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, earning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors as a junior and C-USA Player of the Year honors as a senior. As a senior in 2014–15, he tallied 7.4 assists (5th in the NCAA), 6.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals, as he finished his career with 118 career starts (tied for the third most in program history) and finished as the school's career leader in total assists (858) and steals (258).[1][3]
Professional career
In June 2015, Smith had pre-draft workouts with the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. However, he went through the workouts at less than 100 percent as he nursed an ankle injury suffered earlier that year.[4] He had hopes of being a late second-round pick, but ultimately went undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft.[4]
VEF Rīga (2015)
On August 11, 2015, Smith signed a two-year deal with VEF Rīga of the Latvian Basketball League.[5][6] However, on November 24, he was released by Rīga after appearing in three league games and eight VTB United League games.[7]
Los Angeles D-Fenders (2016—2017)
On January 6, 2016, Smith was acquired by the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League.[3] He made his debut on January 9 in a 118–113 loss to the Canton Charge, recording three points, two rebounds and six assists in 13 minutes of action.[8]
On October 30, Smith was reacquired by the Los Angeles D-Fenders.[9]
Grand Rapids Drive (2017–2019)
On October 13, 2017, Smith was traded to the Grand Rapids Drive.[10]
Spirou Basket (2019–2020)
On December 19, 2019, he has signed with Spirou Basket of the Belgian Pro Basketball League. [12] The season was cancelled in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Antwerp Giants (2020–present)
On April 8, 2020, Antwerp Giants announced Smith as its first signing for the 2020–21 season.[13]
Personal life
On November 15, 2005 at 2:06 AM, Smith's non-biological brother, Dalvontae Coley, was allegedly shot by two masked men that entered his apartment complex, which was located in St. Petersburg, Florida, at 22 years of age. Coley's death affected Smith considerably, as he often "looked up to his older brother."[2] He said, "I always think about what if he was here right now."[2]
References
- "Kenneth Smith Bio". LATechSports.com. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
- Vecenie, Sam (December 11, 2015). "La. Tech's Speedy Smith plays with a heavy heart". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- "D-Fenders Acquire Speedy Smith". OurSportsCentral.com. January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- Isabella, Sean (June 26, 2015). "Speedy Smith not selected in 2015 NBA Draft". TheNewsStar.com. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- "VEF Riga announces rookie point guard Speedy Smith". Sportando.com. August 11, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- Isabella, Sean (August 7, 2015). "Speedy Smith inks pro deal in Latvia". TheNewsStar.com. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- "VEF Riga cuts rookie Speedy Smith". Sportando.com. November 24, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- "Jorge Gutierrez's Triple-Double Leads Charge Past D-Fenders at NBA D-League Showcase". NBA.com. January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- Primeaux, Ryan (October 30, 2016). "D-Fenders Finalize Training Camp Roster and Schedule". NBA.com. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- "Grand Rapids Drive Completes Trade With South Bay Lakers". NBA.com. October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
- Lupo, Nicola (July 26, 2019). "Kenneth Smith signs with Szolnoki Olaj". Sportando. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- "Spirou Charleroi sign Kenneth 'Speedy' Smith". Sportando. December 19, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- "Welkom Kenneth "Speedy" Smith! – Telenet Giants Antwerp". Retrieved 10 April 2020.