Donta Smith
| File:Donta Smith (2).JPG | |
| No. 15 – Hapoel Jerusalem | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / Small forward |
| League | Israeli Basketball Super League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 27, 1983 Louisville, Kentucky |
| Nationality | American / Venezuelan |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Oldham County (Buckner, Kentucky) |
| College | Southeastern Illinois (2002–2004) |
| NBA draft | 2004 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall |
| Selected by the Atlanta Hawks | |
| Playing career | 2004–present |
| Career history | |
| 2004–2006 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2005–2006 | →Arkansas RimRockers (D-League) |
| 2007 | Academic Sofia (Bulgaria) |
| 2007–2008 | Shanxi Zhongyu (China) |
| 2008–2009 | South Dragons (Australia) |
| 2009 | Gigantes de Carolina (Puerto Rico) |
| 2009–2010 | Shanxi Zhongyu (China) |
| 2010 | Marinos de Anzoátegui (Venezuela) |
| 2010 | Vaqueros de Bayamón (Puerto Rico) |
| 2010 | Espartanos de Margarita (Venezuela) |
| 2010–2011 | Liaoning Dinosaurs (China) |
| 2011 | Marinos de Anzoátegui (Venezuela) |
| 2011 | Fuerza Regia (Mexico) |
| 2012 | Indios de Mayagüez (Puerto Rico) |
| 2012–2014 | Maccabi Haifa B.C. (Israel) |
| 2014–present | Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Donta Lamont Smith (born November 27, 1983) is an American-Venezuelan professional basketball player who currently plays for Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. of the Israeli Basketball Super League.
Amateur career
Smith played his high school ball at Oldham County High School (Buckner, KY), where he was a standout forward on the high school team and record-setting wide receiver on the football team. He also played on the Kentucky (high school) All-Stars in their annual two-game series against the Indiana All-Stars. After two years of junior college basketball at Southeastern Illinois College, Smith was rated as one of the top JUCO prospects and committed to play ball for Rick Pitino at the University of Louisville. But he backed out of the commitment and entered the 2004 NBA Draft instead.
Professional career
Smith was taken by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft after playing college basketball at Southeastern Illinois College and averaged 3.3 points per game for the Hawks during his two-season stint. On December 2, 2005, the Hawks assigned Smith to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Arkansas RimRockers.[1]
In January 2007, Smith signed a one-month contract with Bulgarian champions Academic Sofia, which could possibly be extended to five months. On December 24, 2008, Smith signed with the South Dragons of the Australian National Basketball League. He had previously been with the Chinese Basketball Association's Shanxi Zhongyu but was waived to make roster space available for Bonzi Wells.[2]
In 2009, Smith went on to win the 2009 NBL championship with the South Dragons, and was named Finals MVP after starring for the team in the 5-game series. After one season with the South Dragons, Smith would return to the Shanxi Zhongyu for the 2009–10 season. In December 2010 he signed with the Liaoning Dinosaurs.[3]
In 2011, Smith signed with Fuerza Regia in Mexico.[4] He later played for the Indios de Mayaguez of Puerto Rico,[5] and Maccabi Haifa B.C. of Israel.[6]
Smith led Haifa to its first Israeli League title ever during the 2012-13 season, his first with his team, along with teammate Gal Mekel. In the following season, 2013–14, Smith was awarded the Israeli Basketball League's Most Valuable Player Award, after leading Haifa to the finals for the second time in a row. Haifa, however, could not win the title again, after losing the finals to Euroleague superpower Maccabi Tel Aviv.
In August 2013, Smith was naturalized as a Venezuelan to participate with the country's national basketball team.[7] In 2014 he was chosen as an MVP of the Israeli AllStar match.
In June 2014, after two successful seasons with Haifa, Smith signed a three-year contact with Israeli team Hapoel Jerusalem.
References
- ↑ HAWKS ASSIGN DONTA SMITH TO NBA D-LEAGUE
- ↑ South Dragons welcome recruit Donta Smith
- ↑ Good to go: Liaoning signs its second import, Donta Smith
- ↑ Fuerza Regia brings in Donta Smith
- ↑ Mayagez signs Donta Smith
- ↑ Maccabi Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa and Ashdod in the semifinals
- ↑ Donta Smith se nacionaliza y se ofrece para jugar con Venezuela
External links
- NBA Profile
- Profile at Eurobasket.com
- Israeli stats
- Pages with broken file links
- 1983 births
- Living people
- American expatriate basketball people in Australia
- American expatriate basketball people in Bulgaria
- American expatriate basketball people in China
- American expatriate basketball people in Israel
- American expatriate basketball people in Mexico
- American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela
- Arkansas RimRockers players
- Atlanta Hawks draft picks
- Atlanta Hawks players
- Basketball players from Kentucky
- Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players
- Indios de Mayagüez players
- Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
- Liaoning Dinosaurs players
- Maccabi Haifa B.C. players
- Naturalized citizens of Venezuela
- PBC Lukoil Academic players
- Shanxi Zhongyu players
- Shooting guards
- Small forwards
- South Dragons players
- Sportspeople from Louisville, Kentucky
- Venezuelan basketball players
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