is kenny smith in the hall of fame is kenny smith in the hall of fame

Gasol was a critical component of Kobe Bryant's last two title runs. Smith averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 assists while playing just under twenty minutes per game. On top of the numbers, Carter left a cultural imprint on basketball that few across history can match. The Class of 2023 is "loaded" with star power as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame finalists were announced Friday as part of NBA All-Star weekend. He won two scoring titles, averaged over 30 in each of four straight seasons from 1980-81 to 1983-84 and his 24.3 points per game for his career ranks 18th in NBA history. His true shooting percentage over that stretch was 7.3 points better than the league average. [44], NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, "Famous Stanners: Kenny Smith, Class of 1983", "Jack Curran, a Mentor in Two Sports, Dies at 82", "Kenny Smith recognizes former Bartram High star Bobby Lewis", "Syracuse vs North Carolina, March 21, 1987", "Carolina Basketball: 2015-16 Fact & Records Book", "1986 World Championship for Men. TNT's 'Inside the N.B.A.' A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. High School, Class: St. Katherine Drexel, D. Today, six players were inducted in the Hall of Fame. Jack Morris, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, Frank . 1965 Kenny Smith weighed 170 lbs (77 kg) when playing. He's also 46th in career BPM and helped introduce point centers to the NBA. 'Black-ish' Could Run on . McGrady's 9.8 offensive BPM that season, when he averaged32.1 points, 5.5 assists and 2.3 threes, is the second-highestsingle-season mark on record. '". Enshrinement weekend will begin at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on Friday, Aug. 11, with the tip-off celebration and awards gala, inclusive of the Class of 2023 jacket and ring presentation and the annual Hall of Fame Awards. He hit .357/.378/.496 in 135 postseason plate appearances and won back-to-back titles in 1977 and 1978. He also works as an analyst for CBS/Turner during the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Over a 10-year peak that lasted from 1979-80 to 1988-89, Dantley averaged 25.7 points per 75 possessions with a blistering 62.5 true shooting percentage. Discovery Sports to continue as a host on Inside the NBA. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Gregg Popovich headline the class. Full Name: Kenneth Smith. 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. High School: Oscar F. Smith (Chesapeake, VA) Pro Career: 7 seasons, 89 games. When you look at this in comparison to Smith, its hard to say if hes better than Smith. The thing is, players like Mays and Cobb were so good they throw off the average. Some people don't like him but I absolutely love him as part of the TNT crew. "It was just a matter of growing into it." 982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team (team)*, Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968, 1969 (Team), North Catholic High School Junior Varsity (Philadelphia, PA) (team), 2022: Sonny Boswell, Swin Cash, Larry Costello, Hugh Evans, Manu Ginobili, Tim Hardaway, Del Harris, Lou Hudson, Bob Huggins, Inman Jackson, George Karl, Radivoj Korac, Albert Pullins, Theresa Shank-Grentz, Marianne Stanley, Lindsay Whalen, 2021: Val Ackerman, Rick Adelman, Chris Bosh, Bob Dandridge, Lowell Fitzsimmons, Howard Garfinkel, Yolanda Griffith, Lauren Jackson, Clarence Jenkins, Toni Kukoc, Pearl Moore, Paul Pierce, Bill Russell, Ben Wallace, Chris Webber, Jay Wright, 2020: Patrick Baumann, Kobe Bryant, Tamika Catchings, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kim Mulkey, Barbara Stevens, Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich, 2019: Al Attles, Carl Braun, Charles "Chuck" Cooper, Vlade Divac, Bill Fitch, Bobby Jones, Sidney Moncrief, Jack Sikma, Tennessee A&I teams from 1957 to 1959, Wayland Baptist University teams of 1982-84, Teresa Weatherspoon, Paul Westphal, 2018: Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, Charles "Lefty" Driesell, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Tina Thompson, Dino Radja, Charlie Scott, Ora Mae Washington, Rod Thorn, Rick Welts, Katie Smith, 2017: Robert Hughes, Tracy McGrady, Bill Self, Rebecca Lobo, Muffet McGraw, Mannie Jackson, Tom Jernstedt, Jerry Krause, Zack Clayton, Nick Galis, George McGinnis, 2016: Zelmo Beaty, Darell Garretson, Allen Iverson, Tom Izzo, John McClendon, Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal, Cumberland Posey, Jerry Reinsdorf, Sheryl Swoopes, Dirk vs. the Heat's Big 3: Relive the drama of the 2011 NBA Finals (2:45), Basketball Hall of Fame: Class of 2023 finalists, schedule and more, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. In 1992, he recorded a 43% shot average from downtown. Currently on Ballot . [1] He finished in the NBA top ten in three-point percentage three times (199293, 199394, 199495), and top ten in free throw percentage twice (199293 and 199394). Browns star left tackle Joe Thomas and Jets greats Joe . The list itself didn't feature a ton of surprises. He put together seven straight seasons with at least 30 home runs while playing with the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves, and the trade that brought him to Atlanta at the 1993 deadline helped bolster a team on the rise. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. [24][25], The Rockets released Smith after the 199596 season, and he signed with the Detroit Pistons. 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. Seven years later, he added ALCS MVP to his resume in his age-36 season, serving as the sage veteran on a Cleveland team that reached the World Series. [16] Smith finished 17th in voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, just ahead of teammate Hakeem Olajuwon. Kenny Smith was drafted by Sacramento Kings, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1987 NBA Draft. (2:45). I expect he will do a great job in passing that knowledge . Shaq also won more championships, with a total of four, and is in the Hall of Fame. His peak is every bit as impressive, though. Cleveland great Kenny Lofton only last one year on the Hall of Fame ballot before falling off, but here is why he deserves another shot at Cooperstown. Honorable Mentions: Albert Belle, Lance Berkman, Johnny Damon, Jim Edmonds, Dwight Evans, Frank Howard, Fred Lynn, Minnie Minoso, Dale Murphy, Tony Oliva, Reggie Smith, Currently on Ballot: Bobby Abreu, Barry Bonds, Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones, Manny Ramirez, Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa. Besides Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines and Ichiro Suzuki, it's hard to think of a player who better fit the mold of the prototypical leadoff hitter than Kenny Lofton. [40], After divorcing his first wife, Smith met English model Gwendolyn Osborne in 2004 at a charity event. He was an excellent cook who hosted gourmet wild game cookouts during the shoots. It was much more difficult to guard a guy like that.". 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. Explore HOF Explore Hall of Fame Members. Before those difficulties arrived,Hill averaged 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Genuinely curious. [12][13], Smith was selected as a 6'3" 170 lb point guard by the Sacramento Kings with the sixth pick of the 1987 NBA draft. Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images. It's not the Basketball Commentary Hall of Fame. "He was probably more difficult to guard (than the traditional post-up centers)," former teammateJim Washington told NBA.com's, were much like the centers of today, where they could shoot the outside shot and take the ball to the basket. [15] He helped the Rockets to a 5230 record, the best regular season in franchise history at the time. During the 14 seasons he played with Tim Duncan, the dynastic San Antonio Spurs were plus-12.2 points per 100 possessions when both were on the floor (compared to plus-7.5 when Duncan played without Manu). It's stunning that he only received 2.9 percent of the vote in his one and only year on the ballot. The NFL's 2023 Hall of Fame Game will feature the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, the Hall announced Tuesday. He averaged 8.5 points and 3.6 assists per game, and shot .382 from three-point range and .821 from the free throw line. Instead, we turn our attention to an integral member of the Big Red Machine in Dave Concepcion, who played his entire 19-year career with the Cincinnati Reds. Arguably the greatest sixth man in NBA history, Manu Ginobili ranks 23rd in NBA history in career BPM. View Bio. 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. 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. Jones said, per, . As impressive as that company is, it still doesn't quite capture just how good Hill's statistical peak was. After averaging 13.8 points and 7.1 assists per game with the Sacramento Kings, Smith was named a member of the NBA All-Rookie team in 1988. Archbishop Molloy in Queens, New York, Draft: "He was probably more difficult to guard (than the traditional post-up centers)," former teammateJim Washington told NBA.com's Kevin Chouinard. [42] Osborne is a former model on The Price Is Right. THIS THREAD IS OVA. Kenny Smith has never won a Stanley Cup as a player. Height: 6-3 (191cm) Weight: 170 . Baseball Champions 1962. Press J to jump to the feed. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? [1] He won back-to-back NBA championships with Houston. Some never make it in their chosen field. 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. For the latest news and updates, follow @hoophall on Twitter and Instagram. Some sports stars become famous over time. The next year, he broke a record with 3pt shots 7 in one game, during the finals, which Houston again won. Paul Kennedy/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images. "My life was set," he said. . On Sunday, Smith, Stuart's wife of 24 years, tearfully inducted her husband into the Hall of Fame. Had he played longer, his case obviously would've been stronger. Lofton produced six seasons with a bWAR of 5.0 or more, including his 1994 season when he led the American League with a . Smith was named a Consensus All-American (1st Team) as senior in 1987, averaging 16.9 points, 6.1 assists per game while helping North Carolina to return to the Elite Eight. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, 2021 Class made many stops en route to Springfield, Gratitude, pride mark 2021 Hall of Fame on 9/11, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points, NBA Fantasy: Under-the-radar additions for playoffs, Magic's Isaac (torn adductor) out for rest of season, Triple-double win streak shows Jokic dominance, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for March 3, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Pau Gasol's game was never as flashy as those of some of the legends who were named to the top 75. The Hall of Fame's Contemporary Era Committee votes on Albert Belle's induction chances on Sunday. Ault did three separate stints as Nevada's coach from . High School Coach: Werner Blakely. Smith is a two-time Emmy nominee for Best Analyst. In his first five full seasons in the majors, he hit .316 with a .382 on-base percentage and led the AL in steals every year, swiping 325 bases in 395 attempts. He is an NCAA All-Star and an inductee to the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Jerry Smith held an NFL scoring record for 27 years. In the same stretch, he won three Defensive Player of the Year Awards (only Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo have more) and had a plus-8.6 net-rating swing (the Orlando Magic were plus-8.4 points per 100 possessions with Howard on the floor and minus-0.2 with him off). And some, like Kobe Bryant, were stars from the very beginning. Longevity (or lack thereof) is the only possible explanation for Nikola Jokic's omission from the 75th Anniversary Team, but even that gets pretty flimsy when you consider that Shaquille O'Neal had only played four seasons when he was named to the top 50 in 1996. A distinguished group of attorneys who have consistently earned high rankings from their peers in the annual Legal Elite voting. Smith then signed with the Denver Nuggets, where he would finish his career as a player. His voting support jumped from 23.2 to 39.8 percent in his final year on the ballot, and it's fair to wonder if he might have ultimately made the cut under the previous 15-year limits rather than the new 10-year cutoff. I love how he balances out Chuck's crazy claims with intelligent analysis. They have two children together. us, High School: "He never seemed to step onto the court with a fully fleshed-out plan, or to have decided on a movewhether to shoot, to dribble, or to zing some oddball pass, fishy with Englishuntil he was already partway through the motion that made it possible.". If Kenny is inducted as a media member, he won't be a Hall of Famer as a player. They did use a first-round pick in the 2022 . While he lacks a complete body of work as a result of his career being cut short, his 3.2 WAR per 100 games played compares favorably with all-time great Johnny Bench(3.5), and that speaks volumes to the impact he made. In 1988, he was the best pitcher on the planet, throwing a record 59 straight scoreless innings while going 23-8 with a 2.26 ERA and leading the National League in complete games (15) and shutouts (eight) to win NL Cy Young. The Pittsburgh Steelers had the unenviable task of replacing a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, who retired after the 2021 season. Kenny Chesney: First . Smith helped to force a game seven against Seattle by scoring 30 points, shooting 46 from three-point range, in a Game 6 victory for Houston. ABC Studios. Former major league outfielder Kenny Lofton fell off the Hall of Fame ballot in his first year of eligibility in 2013, getting only 3.2 percent of the vote, a bit below the five percent threshold . Does that make Kenny better than Chuck? December 21, 2021 12:31 PM. Tickets for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Enshrinement ceremony and variousevents surrounding the ceremony will be on-sale at a later date. Galante has an important Knoxville connection as he signed Kenny Chesney at the beginning of his music career. [1], After the 198990 season, Smith was traded to the Houston Rockets where he would spend the next six seasons. Even still, he's top 75 in career points, 30th in career wins over replacement player and 19th in career BPM. . From humble thanks to a sense of accomplishment, the 2021 Class brought its own brand of emotion. Born in Queens, New York City, Mr. Kenny The Jet Smith is a long-time member of TNTs Inside the NBA studio show. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will enshrine a new class of legends in Springfield, Massachusetts, this summer. Point Guard Kenny Smith was born in Queens, New York. He won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1970 and made seven All-Star appearances over 10 full seasons in the majors, taking home the AL MVP Award in 1976 when he hit .302/.337/.432 with 17 home runs and 105 RBI for a World Series-bound Yankees team. It might be easier to make a case for Omar Vizquel being the best shortstop not currently in the Hall of Fame than it is to make a case that he's deserving of enshrinement. Is Kenny Smith in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Nationality: United States. Does anyone know what's going on with Kenny Smith? His performance in the 2000 Dunk Contest is regarded by many as the best ever. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. And perhaps most importantly, Jokic is already top 40 in a telling cumulative stat (think total points, as opposed to points per game), as hehas 1.199 career MVP shares, according to Basketball Reference. . Orel Hershiser was undoubtedly one of the game's elite pitchers in his prime, rattling off a five-year peak that included a 2.69 ERA and 132 ERA+ while he averaged 252 innings per year from 1985 through 1989. After retiring from playing, Smith became a basketball commentator for the Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA on TNT. No. He scored 65 runs and stole 34 bases in 95 career playoff games, reaching the postseason with six different organizations. ITS OVA LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. Inside the NBA is entering its 34th season and has its own spot in both the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In is personal life, Kenny Smith was married to Dawn Reavis with whom he has two children, and since 2006 has been married to Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith, a model, recording artist and an actress who appears on the CBS Network's show "The Price Is . There were basically two notable phases of Mullin's career. The entireClass of2022, including those selected by the direct elect committees, will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana, in early April. View Bio . He's third all-time in both career BPM and career playoff BPM. The . For his entire career, the Hall of Famer made seven All-Star teams and seven All-NBA teams. How old is Kenny Smith? Wrestling Champions 1965-66. Dantley may not have had the same kind of wide-ranging statistical contributions as some of those who made the top 75, but the majority of them can't match Dantley's resume as a scorer. A plane crash ended Thurman Munson's life shortly after his 32nd birthday when he was still in the prime of his career as the captain of the New York Yankees. . They may need to have another catch-up year. Steve Kerr, Hubert Davis and Dell Curry were the only players who matched or exceeded both of his marks for total threes and three-point percentage over that stretch. Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks defeat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. One of the best big men of his era, Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy is top 50 in NBA history in career points, rebounds, field goals, free throws, minutes and win shares.. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kenny Smith returns for his second season as an assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman, working with the Wildcats' infielders. Honorable Mentions: Mark Belanger, Bert Campaneris, Bill Dahlen, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Maury Wills. He was a dynamic catalyst atop some loaded Cleveland lineups in his prime, and he became a hired gun for a number of playoff-bound teams later in his career. Kenny Smith was born in Queens, New York. In 2000, Smith was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith was born in Queens in 1965. [1][6], Kenny Smith credits former South Carolina State star Bobby Lewis with his development as a shooter and ballhandler. Outstanding Comedy Series - 2017. A total of 60 players were selected from different divisions within the region to participate in three . Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. [43] Gwendolyn Osborne filed for divorce in 2018. His assist numbers look pretty tame in comparison to today's big playmakers like Nikola Jokic and Bam Adebayo, but Gasol's career assist percentage ranks third among players 7'0" and taller. While it may have started that way, it became what it is today after Smith joined the show, according to the New York Times. [1], In his professional career, Smith scored 9,397 points (12.8 avg. Obviously his playing career alone won't help him make the Hall of Fame. Individuals are inducted annually at a banquet in Louisville and receive a bronze plaque inside Louisville's Freedom Hall. Barkley is often Smiths best sparring partner and helped bring the willingness to engage in more non-sports topics to the show. Ernie and Sager will get in for sure. 4:00 PM Per usual, the party went until the wee hours of the morning at Kenny Smith's annual NBA All-Star jam.. Model and TV personality Nicole Murphy. [1] Through 2016 Smith held the Denver Nuggets franchise record for career three-point percentage (.425), and ranked among the all-time leaders in several categories for the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets. [32], During the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, Smith was a member of the Texas team that won the Shooting Stars Competition. TheJetOnTNT, Position: The full list of nominees from the North American and women's . so says Kenny Smith. Kenneth Ray Rogers entered country music with a broad musical background. From 1990-1999 Lofton produced a bWAR of 45.8, 10th best in the majors. The Rockets then went 5527 in 199293, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the playoffs in seven games. Whether he was facing starters or reserves, his slashing, passing, three-point shooting and opportunistic defense made him one of the most impactful players of his era. Toronto Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia has been immortalized in basketball history after being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's inaugural superfan gallery on May 15, making him one of the first fans to have received this honour. In the same year, Smith was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the NBA draft as the sixth overall pick. David Aldridge has an award. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Growing up in public housing in Houston, he was exposed to R&B, pop, and jazz in addition to country. Kenny Smith was born on March 8, 1965. A complete list of eligible candidates can be found below. How tall is Kenny Smith? As a member of the Chicago Packers, Chicago Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets and New York Knicks in that time, Bellamy averaged 26.8 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Lanier had soft touch on his jumper and hook shot, and even provided some playmaking from the frontcourt. Larry Bird is the only player in league history who matches or exceeds all of Jokic's career regular-season marks of 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.1 steals. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. The Hall of Fame will also reveal the full Enshrinement schedule at this time. More than 400 members of the Loyola Blakefield community came together for our biennial Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony on Saturday, March 12, 2022. For context's sake, that plus-8.7 relative true shooting percentage (the player's mark minus the average) tops Stephen Curry's career mark of 7.9. He finished 15th on the all-time list with 622 steals, but he was more than just a speedster, showcasing elite on-base skills with a .372 career on-base percentage and playing a terrific center field on his way to four Gold Glove Awards. As Smith has described, Barkley brings the flashlight, but Smith is the floodlight. March 8, It was much more difficult to guard a guy like that. Kenny Lofton is still on the outside looking in. Smith is an analyst, alongside Charles Barkley, Shaquille ONeal and Ernie Johnson, host Inside the NBA, which has won four (4) Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Show Daily. It is Texas Southern Universitys distinct pleasure to have a living basketball legend as our guest speaker. Turner's "Inside The NBA" crew of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal were announced as the first winners in the Transformative Media category. Those numbers (with the exception of true shooting percentage) were all pulled down by his injury-plagued and post-prime years. 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 . The HOF applies to media members as well who've made a significant contribution to basketball. The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame other wise known as the Kentucky Sports Hall of fame, is a non-profit organization funded by the Kentucky Lottery and owned . Smith is among Houstons all-time leaders in three-point field goal percentage at .407, along with having the best field goal percentage of NBA guards in 1992-93. Smith is also the founder of the Jet Academy, the virtual live basketball camp for children of all ages. You can't mix playing career, coaching career, media career, etc. Afirst look at the list of eligible nominees was provided byNBA Today on ESPN,hosted by Malika Andrews, Richard Jefferson, Chiney Ogwumike andZach Lowe. According to Kenny Smith, now an analyst on the "NBA on TNT," after a conversation with Makhtar N'Diaye, who played for . He was named an All-Star in seven of those eight campaigns. [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. Around the NFL Writer. His dunk contest commentary is legendary. The win against the Lakers also marked the final NBA game for Magic Johnson, who returned to the NBA that season after a five-year absence. Kenny Smith attended Archbishop Molloy in Queens, New York and UNC.