Curt Smith (basketball)

Curt "Trouble" Smith (born February 4, 1971)[1] is an American former basketball player best known as a streetball legend in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas.[2] He played college basketball at Compton College and then Drake University. While at Drake, Smith was named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year as a junior in 1992–93.[3]

Curt Smith
Personal information
Born (1971-02-04) February 4, 1971
Washington, D.C.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolCoolidge Senior
(Washington, D.C.)
CollegeCompton College (1990–1992)
Drake (1992–1994)
NBA draft1994: undrafted
PositionPoint guard
Career history
1994–1995Miami Tropics
1996Treasure Coast Tropics
1997Jacksonville Barracudas
1997–1998Des Moines Dragons
1998Washington Congressionals
1998–1999Des Moines Dragons
1999Connecticut Skyhawks
1999–2000Des Moines Dragons
Career highlights and awards

In high school, Smith was an All-American who was chosen to play in the Capital Classic in 1989, which was the premier All-American showcase game at the time.[4] He matched up opposite Kenny Anderson, who was considered the best high school basketball player ever (pre-LeBron James), yet Smith outplayed him.[4]

Smith then spent his first two college basketball seasons playing at Compton College, now called El Camino College, in Compton, California.[3] After lighting it up at the junior college level—he once scored 48 points against Harbor Community College—he moved on to play NCAA Division I ball at Drake.[3][5] During his first season playing for the Bulldogs, Smith was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Newcomer of the Year as well as its player of the year, earning the rare double honor.[3] That season he averaged approximately 21 points, 5 assists and 3 steals per game while helping to turn the program around after bad seasons the previous years.[3]

He did not return to Drake as a senior in 1993–94. After college he played professional basketball, including stints in the IBA,[6] International Basketball League and United States Basketball League.[1][7] In 1997–98, Smith was named the Most Valuable Player of the USBL.[8]

Kevin Durant of the NBA has described Smith as the best basketball player ever to come out of the Washington metropolitan area.[9]

References
  1. "Curt Smith". Eurobasket, Inc. 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  2. Weidie, Kevin (August 10, 2010). "Steve Francis Doesn't Even Own The D.C. Courts. Just Ask Curt Smith". SB Nation. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  3. "Drake player wins two league honors". The Daily Reporter. Des Moines, IA. March 3, 1993. p. 3. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  4. Caputo, Matt (April 10, 2008). "Coming this Sunday: The Under Armour Capital Classic". SLAM Magazine. Source Interlink Magazines, LLC. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  5. Sheinin, Dave (February 13, 1992). "Harbor Can't Keep Pace With Compton : Basketball: Tartars' Curt Smith and Jason Carmichael combine for 73 points in 109-102 victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  6. "INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION HISTORY". apbr.org. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  7. "All-Time USBL Roster - S". United States Basketball League. Archived from the original on August 4, 2004. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  8. "Top 20 and Beyond: USBL 20th Anniversary Team". United States Basketball League. June 21, 2005. Archived from the original on March 11, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  9. Evans, Sean. "Hot Ones S4E7". YouTube.com. First We Feast. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
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