(PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images.)
Y’all guys remember Tony Smith, right?
He played four years at Marquette University and the Los Angeles Lakers picked him in the second round (51st overall) of the 1990 NBA Draft.
Smith hardly played at the start of his rookie season. But when Magic Johnson got knocked out by a kick against the Chicago Bulls, Smith was pressed into action. He scored eight points as he helped the Lakers beat the Bulls. He was part of the playoff roster that made it to the NBA Finals. Smith hardly played in the postseason but he got a lot of action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals as the Lakers were ravaged with injuries. He scored 12 points in the game but the Lakers lost to that same Bulls team. That was the same game the Bulls won the title.
Tony Smith was a solid back-up combo guard for the Lakers. He had his best season in 1993-94 when he was a part-time starter fo them, averaging 8.8 points per game. He would stay with the Lakers until 1994-95.
He split the 1995-96 season with Phoenix and Miami. Then he was a part-time starter for the Charlotte Hornets in 1996-97. Smith went to Spain after that season before playing seven games for the Milwaukee Bucks.
After that, he would play in the CBA in 2000-01 before playing six games for the Atlanta Hawks. That would be the last time he played in the NBA. Smith would play in Italy, Dominican Republic, and the ABA before calling it a playing career in 2002. He played a total of 457 games and had career averages of 5.5 points and 1.9 assists in the NBA.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Fox Sports Wisconsin.)
Tony Smith is now a studio analyst for Milwaukee Bucks games at Fox Sports Wisconsin. Great to see him do some basketball work after an NBA career that spanned nine seasons. You can follow him on Twitter at @AnalystTSmith34.
Shoutout to Tony Smith.
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