Randy Smith (basketball)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 12, 1948 Bellport, New York |
| Died | June 4, 2009 (aged 60) Norwich, Connecticut |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Bellport (Brookhaven, New York) |
| College | Buffalo State (1968–1971) |
| NBA draft | 1971 / Round: 7 / Pick: 104th overall |
| Selected by the Buffalo Braves | |
| Playing career | 1971–1983 |
| Position | Guard / Small forward |
| Number | 9, 7 |
| Career history | |
| 1971–1979 | Buffalo Braves / San Diego Clippers |
| 1979–1981 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1981–1982 | New York Knicks |
| 1982–1983 | San Diego Clippers |
| 1983 | Atlanta Hawks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 16,262 (16.7 ppg) |
| Assists | 4,487 (4.6 apg) |
| Steals | 1,403 (1.7 spg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Randolph "Randy" Smith (December 12, 1948 – June 4, 2009) was an American professional basketball player who set the NBA record for consecutive games played. From 1972–1982, Smith played in every regular season game, en route to a then-record of 906 straight games (since broken by A. C. Green). He was born in Bellport, New York.
Smith was an outstanding all-around athlete at Buffalo State College, earning All-American honors in three sports: basketball, soccer and track. (At Bellport High School on Long Island, Smith was a standout on the soccer and basketball teams, and set a state high jump record of 6-foot-6.) However, it was on the basketball court that Smith shone brightest, teaming with Durie Burns to lead the Bengals to three straight conference championships, including a trip to the Final Four of the NCAA Division II Tournament in 1970, where Smith earned All-Tournament honors.
Smith surprised everyone in training camp, and he made the final roster cuts. Despite standing only 6-foot-3, he was assigned to play forward. He averaged 13.4 points per game in his rookie season. Smith continued to improve beyond expectation, drawing on his tremendous speed, quickness and leaping ability. His style of play, along with contemporaries like Julius Erving, marked by fast breaks and "above the rim" ball movements influenced the offense style of the NBA in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Playing alongside league scoring champion Bob McAdoo, Smith averaged 21.8 points per game in the 1975–76 season, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
The highlight of Smith's career was the 1978 NBA All-Star Game, where he came off the bench to lead all scorers with 27 points, and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
Smith played for seven years for the Braves until the franchise was shifted to the San Diego Clippers in 1978. That first year with the Clippers, Smith had his fourth consecutive season averaging over 20 points per game.
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