Chris Smith (basketball, born 1970)


Christopher Gerard Smith is an American former professional basketball player, in the point guard position.

Basketball career

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Smith played collegiately at the University of Connecticut. He left the Huskies after scoring 2,145 points in his four years, an all-time record, and also led the team in career three-point field goals with 242, being one of only two UConn players to score at least 500 points in three different seasons.
A member of the UConn Basketball All Century Team, Smith was also nominated for the John Wooden Award, was named a McDonald's All American and was a member of an All-Big East first team. He played for the US national team in the 1990 FIBA World Championship, winning the bronze medal.
Smith was selected in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played three seasons with the team, averaging 5.1 points, 2.8 assists, 1.3 rebounds and.5 steals per game.
He continued to play for various franchises in the Continental Basketball Association and Europe until 2000, when a series of injuries transitioned his career to sales and financial services. He received a B.A. in business administration, going on to work as a business development officer for both the People's Bank and its insurance subsidiary, Beardsley, Brown & Bassett.

Personal

Smith son, Christopher Smith Jr. is now the assistant coach of York College in Nebraska.
Smith is cousin of another basketball player, and point guard, Mario Chalmers, who also played in the National Basketball Association, notably with the Miami Heat.