Charles Smith (basketball, born 1975)


Charles Cornelius Smith is an American former professional basketball player. He was the Alphonso Ford Trophy winner and an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2005.

High school

Smith played high school basketball at Dunbar High School, in Fort Worth.

College career

Collegiately, Smith was a star at the University of New Mexico, with the Lobos.

Professional career

Smith played with the Denver Nuggets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. A prolific scorer, he starred in European national leagues with Makedonikos Kozani, Virtus Bologna, and Efes Istanbul. With the Italian League team Scavolini Pesaro in 2005, he won the first-ever Alphonso Ford Trophy, as he was the best scorer in the 2004–05 EuroLeague season.
He was also named the Finals MVP of the ULEB Cup in the 2006–07 season, while playing with the Spanish ACB League club Real Madrid. He moved back to the Turkish Basketball Super League for the 2008–09 season, when he signed with Efes Pilsen. He moved back to Italy for the 2010–11 season, when he signed a one-year contract with Lottomatica Roma.