Zhaire Smith
| No. 8 – Philadelphia 76ers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / Small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
June 4, 1999 Garland, Texas |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lakeview Centennial (Garland, Texas) |
| College | Texas Tech (2017–2018) |
| NBA draft | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018–present | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Zhaire Smith (born June 4, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Texas Tech.
High school career
Smith attended Lakeview Centennial High School, where he was coached by J. T. Locklear. He averaged 20.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a senior. Smith earned District 10-6A MVP honors and was voted the best dunker in the Dallas region by area coaches. Coming out of high school, Smith was a three-star recruit and chose Texas Tech over Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Memphis, Oregon, and Texas.[1]
College career
In his freshman season at Texas Tech, he averaged 11.3 points and five rebounds per game.[2] He was an honorable mention Big-12 selection and was named to the conference's All-Defensive team. Alongside Keenan Evans, Smith led Texas Tech to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to eventual champion Villanova.[3] Smith had a career-high 21 points and to go along with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists in a February 7 win over Iowa State.[4] He flirted with a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 69-66 victory in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament versus Florida, and posted several highlight-reel dunks.[5]
Following the season, he declared for the 2018 NBA draft without initially hiring an agent.[2] In late April it was announced that Smith signed with Roc Nation Sports, thus ending his collegiate eligibility.[3]
Professional career
Philadelphia 76ers (2018–present)
On June 21, 2018, Smith was selected with the sixteenth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA draft, but was immediately traded, along with the Miami Heat's 2021 first round pick, to the Philadelphia 76ers for Mikal Bridges.[6] On July 2, he signed with the 76ers.[7] On August 6, he fractured his foot at a summer development camp and will require surgery.[8]
Career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Texas Tech | 37 | 21 | 28.4 | .556 | .450 | .717 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 11.3 |
Personal life
Smith's father Billy Smith played college basketball for Kansas State. He has been in a wheelchair since 2013 after surgery to repair a herniated disc actually made it worse. Zhaire Smith's name means "to do well and prosper in life." He has a sister, Aayinde.[9]
References
- ↑ "Men's Basketball Signs Zhaire Smith to NLI". Texas Tech Red Raiders. April 13, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- 1 2 Dauster, Rob (April 4, 2018). "Texas Tech star declares for draft without signing with agent". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- 1 2 Dawson, Peter (April 30, 2018). "Texas Tech's Zhaire Smith officially signs with Roc Nation Sports, loses college eligbility". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ↑ Silva, Carlos (February 7, 2018). "Smith nets career high 21 points, powers No. 7 Texas Tech to fifth straight win". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ↑ Silva, Carlos (March 18, 2018). "Zhaire Smith puts on show for pro-Texas Tech crowd in Dallas". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ↑ "Draft 2018 Sought-After Prospect, Future Pick Highlight Acquisitions". NBA.com. June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Philadelphia 76ers Sign Zhaire Smith". NBA.com. July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ↑ Boone, Kyle (August 7, 2018). "76ers rookie Zhaire Smith fractures foot at summer development camp and will need surgery, a report says". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ↑ Norlander, Matt (June 19, 2018). "How Zhaire Smith's wheelchair-bound father helped mold him into a potential 2018 NBA lottery pick". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2018.