Elmore Smith (born May 9, 1949) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player born in

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...

. A 7'0"

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

from

Kentucky State University Kentucky State University (KSU and KYSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Frankfort, Kentucky. Founded in 1886 as the State Normal School for Colored Persons ...

, he played in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA) from 1971 to 1979. He was a member of the

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball franchise based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division from 1970 ...

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

, and

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

Early life

Smith was born in Macon, Georgia, and was a graduate of

Ballard-Hudson High School Ballard-Hudson High School was a high school in Macon, Georgia, United States. Several buildings have existed on the site. Ballard-Hudson Senior High School was built in 1949 as the only high school in Macon for African Americans in grades nine th ...

in Macon. As a 5-11 high school freshman, he didn't make the team. But after sprouting to 7 feet over the next two years, Smith said, "The principal threatened me: 'If you don't go out for basketball, we're going to kick you off campus.' " Making the team but rarely playing, Smith had only three scholarship offers "just by being tall and coordinated," he said. He originally enrolled at

Wiley College Wiley College is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the oldest predominantly black col ...

, but he was told his playing time would be limited. So, he transferred to Kentucky State.

College career

Smith attended

. He is listed among the top rebounders in college basketball. He was a member of the 1970 and 1971 NAIA Championship teams, coached by Lucias Mitchell, playing alongside teammate

Travis Grant Travis Grant (born January 1, 1950) is a former American basketball small forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Lakers. He also was a member of the San Diego Conquistadors, Kentucky Colonels, and Indiana Pacer ...

. He holds the NAIA record for most rebounds in a season (799 rebounds in 1971), and tops the NCAA All-Division list. In 1968–1969, Smith averaged 14.8 points and 19.8 rebounds. In 1969–1970 he averaged 21.6 points and 22.7 rebounds and in 1970–1971, he averaged 25.5 points and 24.2 rebounds, leading Kentucky State to NAIA Championships his last two seasons. After compiling career averages of 21.3 points and 22.6 rebounds, Smith left for the NBA his senior year in 1971.

NBA career

Smith was drafted by the

in the 1st round (3rd pick) of the 1971 NBA Draft on March 29, 1971. In his first season, Smith averaged 17.3 points per game and 15.2 rebounds per game, playing alongside

Bob Kauffman Robert Kauffman (July 13, 1946 – July 25, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Kaufmann was a three time NBA All-Star. Early life Robert Alan Kauffman was born July 13, 1946 in Brooklyn, N.Y., to LeRoy and Anne Ka ...

, and was named to the

NBA All-Rookie Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...

. His rebounding average for that season is the eighth-highest ever recorded by an NBA rookie. In 1972–1973, he averaged 18.3 points and 12.4 rebounds for the Braves. Then, on September 12, 1973 he was traded by the Braves to the

for

Jim McMillian James M. McMillian (March 11, 1948 – May 16, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. After starring at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, McMillian played college basketball at Columbia University. He led Columbia to a three ...

. With the Lakers in 1973–74, Smith averaged 12.5 points with 11.2 rebounds and a league leading 4.9

blocked shots In basketball, a block or blocked shot occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player to prevent a score. The defender is not allowed to make contact with the offensive player's hand (unless the de ...

. The 1973–1974 season was the first in which blocked shots were officially recorded by the NBA, and Smith set a still-standing record of 17 blocks in a game against Portland on October 28, 1973. In 1974-75 Smith averaged 10.9 points and 10.9 rebounds with 2.9 blocks for the Lakers. On June 16, 1975 Smith was part of a historic trade. He was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers with

Junior Bridgeman Ulysses Lee "Junior" Bridgeman (born September 17, 1953) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Bridgeman played in the National Basketball League (NBA) for twelve years from 1975 until 1987, beginning with the Milw ...

, Dave Meyers and

Brian Winters Brian Joseph Winters (born March 1, 1952) is an American former basketball player and coach. Career Winters attended academic and athletic powerhouse Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, New York, graduating in 1970. He then played collegia ...

to the

for

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

and

Walt Wesley Walter Wesley (born January 25, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player. Early life Wesley grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, the son of Leroy and Josie Wesley. He attended Dunbar High School in Fort Myers. College career The to ...

. After 34 games with Milwaukee in 1975–76, Smith was traded on January 13, 1977 with Gary Brokaw to the

for

Rowland Garrett Rowland G. Garrett (born July 16, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'6" forward from Canton, Mississippi, Garrett played at Florida State University, and helped lead the Seminoles to the 1972 NCAA Men's Division I ...

, a 1977 1st round draft pick (

Ernie Grunfeld Ernest Grunfeld (born April 24, 1955) is a Romanian-American former professional basketball player and former general manager in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In college at the University of Tennessee, he set a new record as the sch ...

was later selected) and a 1978 1st round draft pick ( George Johnson was later selected). In 1976–77, Smith averaged 12.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for the 43–39 Cavaliers under Coach

Bill Fitch William Charles Fitch (May 19, 1932 – February 2, 2022) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an NBA championship with the Bost ...

. Smith was plagued by a knee injury, that required surgery, and played in only 24 games for Cleveland in 1977–78, the last of his career. Smith is best remembered for his shot-blocking, earning him the nickname "Elmore the Rejector". He led the league in total blocked shots twice (in

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

and

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

), and holds the NBA record for most blocked shots in a game since 1973, with 17 He achieved this mark against the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

on October 28, 1973, while playing for the Lakers. Smith's average of 4.85 blocks per game from the 1973–74 season (the first season blocked shots were officially recorded in the NBA) is the third highest ever. He was also a skilled rebounder, and he averaged a

double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

(13.4 points, 10.6 rebounds) over the course of his career.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 1971–72 , align="left" , Buffalo , 78 , , - , , 40.8 , , .454 , , - , , .534 , , 15.2 , , 1.4 , , - , , - , , 17.3 , - , align="left" , 1972–73 , align="left" , Buffalo , 76 , , - , , 37.2 , , .482 , , - , , .558 , , 12.4 , , 2.5 , , - , , - , , 18.3 , - , align="left" , 1973–74 , align="left" ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, 81 , , - , , 36.1 , , .457 , , - , , .590 , , 11.2 , , 1.9 , , 0.9 , , style="background:#cfecec;" , 4.9* , , 12.5 , - , align="left" , 1974–75 , align="left" ,

, 74 , , - , , 31.6 , , .493 , , - , , .485 , , 10.9 , , 2.0 , , 1.1 , , 2.9 , , 10.9 , - , align="left" , 1975–76 , align="left" ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, 78 , , - , , 36.0 , , .518 , , - , , .632 , , 11.4 , , 1.2 , , 1.0 , , 3.1 , , 15.6 , - , align="left" , 1976–77 , align="left" ,

, 34 , , - , , 23.2 , , .447 , , - , , .581 , , 6.1 , , 0.9 , , 0.6 , , 2.0 , , 8.4 , - , align="left" , 1976–77 , align="left" ,

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, 36 , , - , , 18.8 , , .504 , , - , , .519 , , 6.4 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 2.1 , , 8.7 , - , align="left" , 1977–78 , align="left" ,

, 81 , , - , , 24.6 , , .497 , , - , , .663 , , 8.4 , , 0.7 , , 0.6 , , 2.2 , , 12.5 , - , align="left" , 1978–79 , align="left" ,

, 24 , , - , , 13.8 , , .531 , , - , , .692 , , 4.4 , , 0.5 , , 0.3 , , 0.7 , , 6.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 562 , , - , , 31.8 , , .482 , , - , , .579 , , 10.6 , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 2.9 , , 13.4

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 1973–74 , align="left" ,

, 5 , , - , , 34.2 , , .477 , , - , , .706 , , 10.6 , , 1.2 , , 1.4 , , 1.6 , , 19.2 , - , align="left" , 1975–76 , align="left" ,

, 3 , , - , , 34.7 , , .556 , , - , , .667 , , 7.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.7 , , 3.7 , , 14.7 , - , align="left" , 1976–77 , align="left" ,

, 3 , , - , , 18.7 , , .545 , , - , , .625 , , 8.0 , , 0.3 , , 1.7 , , 1.0 , , 13.7 , - , align="left" , 1977–78 , align="left" ,

, 2 , , - , , 28.0 , , .458 , , - , , .500 , , 9.5 , , 0.0 , , 1.5 , , 1.5 , , 12.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 13 , , - , , 29.8 , , .500 , , - , , .654 , , 9.1 , , 0.6 , , 1.3 , , 1.9 , , 15.8

Personal life

Smith is the father of three daughters. Smith started a barbecue sauce business in 2006 after years of making sauces for family and friends. His sauces are served at Elmore Smith's Smokehouse Restaurant located in Cleveland's

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is a multi-purpose arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The building is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). It also serv ...

or online. Smith has remained in the Cleveland area and is frequently seen at Cavalier games.

Honors

* Smith was inducted into the Kentucky State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. * In 2008, Smith was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame. * Smith was inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. * In 2017, he was inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Statistics

''During Smith's first two seasons, blocks and steals were not an officially recorded statistic.''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Elmore 1949 births Living people African-American basketball players Basketball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Buffalo Braves draft picks Buffalo Braves players Centers (basketball) Cleveland Cavaliers players Kentucky State Thorobreds basketball players Los Angeles Lakers players Milwaukee Bucks players Sportspeople from Macon, Georgia American men's basketball players 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople