Wee Willie Smith

For the American football player, see Wee Willie Smith (American football).

William T. "Wee Willie" Smith (April 22, 1911 – March 14, 1992) was an American professional basketball player.

Willie Smith

Personal information
Born	(1911-04-22)April 22, 1911 Montgomery, Alabama
Died	March 15, 1992(1992-03-15) (aged 80) Cleveland, Ohio
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school	East Tech (Cleveland, Ohio)
Playing career	1931–1949
Position	Center
Career history
1931–1942	New York Renaissance
1943–1944	Cleveland Chase Brassmen
1948–1949	Dayton Rens

Career

Smith played for several semi-professional leagues in the Cleveland, Ohio area before being signed by the New York Renaissance, an all-black professional team, in 1932. From 1932 to 1936, Smith and his six teammates won over 400 games, including an 88-game winning streak from January 1, 1933, to March 27, 1933. The entire 1932–33 Renaissance team was collectively inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1963. Smith played for several other professional teams, including the Cleveland Chase Brassmen of the National Basketball League. He was one of the few black players in the history of the NBL.^[1]

After retiring from professional basketball, he worked as a custodian in the Cleveland Public Schools and operated a beverage shop. He was inducted into the Harlem Hall of Fame and the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.^[2]