They won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season conference championships in 1984 and 1987, and tied for first in 1985. Of course, Smith holds his own as a do-say-wear what he wants type of guy. The Rockets then went 5527 in 199293, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the playoffs in seven games. Someone like Steve Kerr wouldn't be able to use his playing career in addition to his coaching to get into the HOF? [37], Smith has been married twice. A nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner, he also took home a pair of Silver Slugger Awards and tallied 2,326 hits and a .267 career batting average at a time when shortstop was still a defensive-focused position. July 20, 1986", "Sacramento Fans Have No Problem With Dumping Bill Russell", "1990-91 Houston Rockets Roster and Stats", "Seattle SuperSonics at Houston Rockets Box Score, May 20, 1993", "Smith Lifts Rockets Into Game 7: NBA playoffs: Guard scores 30 points as Houston pulls away from Seattle in third quarter for a 103-90 victory", "The 60 Greatest Playoff Moments: Honorable Mention", "Houston Rockets at Orlando Magic Box Score, June 7, 1995", "SAM I AM WITH TEAMMATES, FOES AND REFS, HOUSTON ROCKET POINT GUARD SAM CASSELL LIKES TO TALK THE TALK-- AND HE'S HAPPY TO BACK IT UP COME CRUNCH TIME, "History in Hindsight: The Houston Rockets, The Seattle SuperSonics, and Hakeem Olajuwon's greatest foe", "Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets Box Score, May 2, 1996", "Throwback Thursday: Magic Johnson Makes A Comeback In 1996", "Chemistry, characters carry NBA show above pack", "Kenny Smith Wasn't a Star. In addition to his role on Inside the NBA, Smith also makes regular appearances on NBA TV and serves as analyst for Turner Sports and CBS Sports combined coverage of the NCAA March Madness Division I Mens Basketball Championship since 2011. Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Gregg Popovich headline the class. He finished with 2,369 hits, a 117 OPS+ and a 75.1 career WAR total that ranks sixth all-time among second basemen, behind five Hall of Famers and ahead of 14 others who currently reside in Cooperstown. They were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Scott Rolen belongs in the Hall of Fame, and with another nice bump of support in 2021, he appears to be well on his way to getting there before his time on the ballot comes to an end. Over six seasons from 1987-88 to 1992-93, Mullin averaged 25.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Kenny Smith, Co-Executive Producer. and my fellow brother members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kenny Easley, Hall of Famer No. Made Him One", "Kenny Smith Says His Rockets Team Would've Beaten '94 Bulls with Michael Jordan", "Kenny Smith walks off 'NBA on TNT' set in solidarity with player strike", "TNT Announces 'Inside the NBA' Crew's Future Amid Charles Barkley Contract", "Daddy's Little Girl: Kenny Smith and Daughter Kayla Brianna Look to Rock Music Industry", "Awesome Basket Player Kenny Smith: Once Divorced, Now Happy With Wife Gwendolyn and Kids", "TBS's 'Meet the Smiths' gives NBA analyst Kenny Smith the spotlight", 'Gwendolyn Osborne, a Barker beauty on the Price is Right, wed former NBA Star Kenny "the Jet" Smith. The former Tar Heels star is a Hall of Fame instigator, but unfortunately for his image as an analyst, his real entertainment value is as a prop . The list itself didn't feature a ton of surprises. He was a World Series winner in 1977 and 1978, and his 68.0 career WAR ranks 10th all-time among third basemen. His in-game finishing wasn't far behind what he did on that either. Kenny Smith was born in Queens, New York. Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks defeat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. [8][9] He led North Carolina to the Elite Eight in 1985, losing to eventual national champion Villanova. Perhaps another example of this is Kenny Smith. For the most part, Hall of Fame voters have done a solid job recognizing the best relievers in the history of the game, assuming Billy Wagner eventually punches his ticket. Hall of Fame:UNC's Bill Guthridge named to Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame. Primary Menu Sections. Lanier had soft touch on his jumper and hook shot, and even provided some playmaking from the frontcourt. In the same stretch, his teams were plus-3.4 points per 100 possessions with T-Mac on the floor and minus-3.9 with him off. Kemp has career averages of 14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. His well-rounded, two-way game led to plenty of wins too. More than 400 members of the Loyola Blakefield community came together for our biennial Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony on Saturday, March 12, 2022. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Get the latest kenny smith news, articles, videos and photos on the New York Post. The Country Music Hall of Fame officially inducted the members of its 2020 class of inductees Dean Dillon, Marty Stuart, and Hank Williams, Jr.with a ceremony Sunday (Nov. 21, 2021) at the . "From the beginning of his tenure with the Spurs, Ginobili was different," Vinson Cunningham wrote for theNew Yorker. The Rockets won the game 120118, and went on to sweep the Magic in four games. Afirst look at the list of eligible nominees was provided byNBA Today on ESPN,hosted by Malika Andrews, Richard Jefferson, Chiney Ogwumike andZach Lowe. Breen the longtime voice of the New York Knicks as well as the NBA on ESPN and ABC was one of the honorees Friday night by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, one of the Curt . In fact, he was one of the few tabbed as the "next" MJ. Read more: Rob Thomson says opposing managers calls CBP "four hours of hell" >> Brian Kenny also praised Chase Utley at the end of this video, who will find his name on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2024. Smith attended Archbishop Molloy High School, where he was coached by Jack Curran, the high school coach with the most wins in New York City and New York State history. Obviously his playing career alone won't help him make the Hall of Fame. Prior to the rise of the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s, Bob Lanier was a bruising big man who dominated in the Motor City. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference. The Hall of Fame will also reveal the full Enshrinement schedule at this time. us, High School: [26][27][28][29], Smith joined Turner Sports in early 1998, working as a studio analyst for end of the NBA regular season and the playoffs. Height: 6-3 (191cm) Weight: 170 . A Career Before Country Music. He wrapped up his 22-year career with 390 home runs and 1,314 RBI, earning six All-Star selections and winning two Gold Glove Awards. Weight: 238. Kenny Smith walked off the TNT "Inside the NBA" set Wednesday night as a show of solidarity with the NBA players not playing games in protest of the Jacob Blake shooting. But I'd like to see him there one day because of his contribution to the game of basketball via TNT. In terms of players who were rejected by the voters, there are a number of standouts from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s who are worthy of another look, and Graig Nettles sits atop that list. Taking a look at the numbers behind Nikola Jokic's historic season for the Nuggets. A complete list of eligible candidates can be found below. [1], After the 198990 season, Smith was traded to the Houston Rockets where he would spend the next six seasons. Smith won his first Grand American trophy in the Parent/Child race in 1969 and would repeat again in 1972 and 1988. [1] Smith played sparingly for the playoff-bound Pistons and the Magic, but got the last meaningful playing time of his career with the Nuggets, a team that won only 21 games that season. He joined an extremely crowded ballot in 2013, and that no doubt contributed to his one-and-done exit. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will enshrine a new class of legends in Springfield, Massachusetts, this summer. It's not that Jerry Smith deserves . Like many of the Hall of Fame inductees, Dave enjoyed a variety of interests and was a man of many talents. [1] He won back-to-back NBA championships with Houston. His underrated career spanned three decades. We present them here for purely educational purposes. THIS THREAD IS OVA. The Country Music Hall of Fame had a "catch-up" year in 2001, in which they had 12 honorees (rather than the usual three). It even has its own Emmy-nominated . . As previously mentioned, Mutombo is tied with Ben Wallace for the most Defensive Player of the Year nods in NBA history with four. Ahead, we set out to identify the best player at each position who has been rejected by the Baseball Hall of Fame voting system. Published Jan. 30, 2014 5:00 p.m. EST. He also won two World Series rings and hit .297/.333/.455 with 13 RBI in 34 career playoff games. Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant himself acknowledged that. The Pro Football Hall of Fame vote is Saturday, and one player has already been done an injustice. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:34AM. He played only nine games with the Pistons before he was waived and signed by the Orlando Magic, who released Smith after only six games. Today, he has a production company as well. [11] Smith helped North Carolina to a record of 11522 from the 198384 to 198687 seasons, including two Elite Eight appearances (1985 and 1987) and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1986. He only cleared 20 points per game in two of his 18 NBA campaigns, but having two decades of steady contributions adds up. Kenny Smith PG. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team (1st Team) after averaging 13.8 points and 7.1 assists per game for the Kings. DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: Contributor Committee Nominations, DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: Early African-American Pioneers Committee Nominations, DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: International Committee Nominations, DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: Veterans Committee Nominations, North Catholic High School Junior Varsity, DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: Women Veterans Committee Nominations. Kenny Smith is a veritable punching bag of sorts on Inside the NBA - at least most of the time. Little did he know, that in 2016, that same fresh faced centerfielder would be immortalized in baseball history, as a member of the Hall of Fame. [1] In the first game of the 1995 Finals against the Orlando Magic, Smith had 23 points, 9 assists and made seven three-pointers, including the game-tying shot which sent the game into overtime. This thread is archived. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? He's third all-time in both career BPM and career playoff BPM. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. He never won a title and only made four All-Star teams, but his production over the first five years of his career was absurd. He has two children from his first marriage;[38] Kayla, an R&B singer[39] and K.J., a basketball player at the University of North Carolina, his father's alma mater. UNCASVILLE, Conn. Mike Breen remembers the way he was taught the game of basketball, and quickly learned that it is best when the five players on the floor work as one. [17], Head Coach Don Chaney was fired after posting a record of only 2626 in the 199192 season. And some, like Kobe Bryant, were stars from the very beginning. Barkleys career averages were 22.1 points, 3.9 assists, and 11.7 rebounds. While Smith has an above-average career, he wasnt at the level of his costars. He's also 46th in career BPM and helped introduce point centers to the NBA. "He always seems to know where that crack in the wall is," former Celtics coach K.C. It's not always about a player's final counting numbers when it comes to Hall of Fame candidacy. Since neither has ever formally appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot, they have never been officially rejected by the voters and are therefore ineligible for this list, as well.