LaBradford Smith

LaBradford Corvey Smith (born April 3, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player.

LaBradford Smith

Personal information
Born	(1969-04-03) April 3, 1969 (age 55) Bay City, Texas, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school	Bay City (Bay City, Texas)
College	Louisville (1987–1991)
NBA draft	1991: 1st round, 19th overall pick
Selected by the Washington Bullets
Playing career	1991–2000
Position	Shooting guard
Number	22, 15
Career history
1991–1993	Washington Bullets
1993–1994	Sacramento Kings
1994	Rapid City Thrillers
1994–1996	Quad City Thunder
1996–1997	León Caja España
1997–1998	MKS Znicz Basket Pruszków
1998–1999	Śląsk Wrocław
1999–2000	Baltimore Bayrunners
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Metro Conference (1990) Gatorade National Player of the Year (1987) 2× First-team Parade All-American (1986, 1987) Texas Mr. Basketball (1987)
Career NBA statistics
Points	1,218 (6.7 ppg)
Rebounds	271 (1.5 rpg)
Assists	394 (2.2 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA U19 World Championship 1987 Bormio Team competition

Career

Smith went to Bay City High School in Bay City, Texas. He played collegiately at the University of Louisville before being selected by the Washington Bullets in the 1st round (19th overall) of the 1991 NBA draft.^[1]

Smith played in three NBA seasons from 1991 to 1994. His best year as a pro came during the 1992–93 season as a member of the Bullets, when he appeared in 69 games and averaged 9.3 ppg. During the 1993–94 season, he was waived by the Bullets and spent the rest of the season playing for the Sacramento Kings. He later on played in the CBA^[2] and overseas in Europe.

Smith is known for scoring 37 points on Michael Jordan in a road game against the Chicago Bulls on March 19, 1993. He shot 15–20 from the floor, and 7–7 from the foul line. However, the Bullets lost 104–99. Jordan claimed Smith had the audacity to say "Nice game, Mike" after the game. The following day the teams played again in Washington D.C. Jordan proceeded to score 36 points in the first half as retribution for the alleged slight from the previous day. It turns out “Nice game, Mike” was never actually said, but was a made up story by Michael Jordan to motivate himself to perform better against Smith.^[3][4]

References

1. John Marx (December 31, 1994). "Smith hopes to fire up talents". The Rock Island Argus. p. D2. Retrieved February 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. John Marx (April 11, 1995). "Befuddled 'Bradford a QC boon". The Dispatch. pp. D1, D3. Retrieved February 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Adande, J.A. (September 14, 2009). "Jordan's speech just another MJ dagger". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
4. Sam Smith (October 13, 1993). "A lesson in excellence, a statement of pride, a show of force". Chicago Tribune. p. 157. Retrieved February 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• NBA stats at Basketballreference.com