Keith Smart
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Keith Smart is a retired American
basketball
player and current assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings
of the NBA
. He is best remembered for hitting the game-winning shot in the 1987
NCAA championship
game. The shot gave the Indiana Hoosiers
a 74–73 victory over the Syracuse Orangemen
. He transferred to Indiana from Garden City Community College
in Kansas where he was a two-year standout and Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year. In 1998, Smart graduated from Indiana with a bachelor of science degree in communications.
After two seasons at Indiana, Smart was signed by the San Antonio Spurs
, where he played two games in the 1988–89 season. Smart later played in the Philippines
, with the San Miguel Beermen
of the PBA
, in the 1989 Reinforced Conference
where he played through an injury and was eventually replaced by Ennis Whatley
after only five games. After the PBA, he played in the World Basketball League
: first with the Worcester Counts in 1989–90. He then played for the Youngstown Pride and was traded to the Halifax Windjammers
in March 1991. Smart ended his playing career in the Continental Basketball Association
with teams Florida Beachdogs (1995 1996) and Fort Wayne Fury
(1996 97). He also played two seasons in France, and one in Venezuela.
In 2002, Smart finished the season as interim coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers
. His record was 9–31 with the club. In 2003, he became an assistant with the Golden State Warriors
.
In 2010, Smart took over for Golden State Warriors
head coach Don Nelson
before the start of the 2010-11 training camp.
The Warriors fired Smart on April 27, 2011 following a 36 win season. He joined the Sacramento Kings
as an assistant coach in November 2011.
| align="left" |CLE
| align="left" |
|40||9||31||.255|| align="center" |8th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |GSW
| align="left" |
|82||36||46||.439|| align="center" |3rd in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||122||45||77||.369|| || || || ||
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and current assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He is best remembered for hitting the game-winning shot in the 1987
1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
NCAA championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
game. The shot gave the Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
a 74–73 victory over the Syracuse Orangemen
Syracuse Orange men's basketball
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
. He transferred to Indiana from Garden City Community College
Garden City Community College
Garden City Community College is a fully accredited community college located in Garden City, Kansas, USA. GCCC has regional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
in Kansas where he was a two-year standout and Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year. In 1998, Smart graduated from Indiana with a bachelor of science degree in communications.
After two seasons at Indiana, Smart was signed by the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, where he played two games in the 1988–89 season. Smart later played in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, with the San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
of the PBA
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
, in the 1989 Reinforced Conference
Philippine Basketball Association Champions
The Philippine Basketball Association awards a championship trophy to the winning team at the end of each conference ....
where he played through an injury and was eventually replaced by Ennis Whatley
Ennis Whatley
Ennis Whatley is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the first round of the 1983 NBA Draft. Whatley played in ten NBA seasons...
after only five games. After the PBA, he played in the World Basketball League
World Basketball League
World Basketball League was a minor professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. It was founded as the International Basketball Association in November 1987, before changing its name prior to the 1988 season. One of the major differences between it and other leagues was that it...
: first with the Worcester Counts in 1989–90. He then played for the Youngstown Pride and was traded to the Halifax Windjammers
Halifax Windjammers
The Halifax Windjammers were a franchise in the World Basketball League that began play in 1991. The team continued operation after the WBL folded in 1992, when they joined the newly formed National Basketball League. The NBL folded midway though the 1994, when the Windjammers were in first place...
in March 1991. Smart ended his playing career in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
with teams Florida Beachdogs (1995 1996) and Fort Wayne Fury
Fort Wayne Fury
The Fort Wayne Fury was a team in the Continental Basketball Association from 1991 through the cessation of the CBA on February 8, 2001.-History:...
(1996 97). He also played two seasons in France, and one in Venezuela.
In 2002, Smart finished the season as interim coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. His record was 9–31 with the club. In 2003, he became an assistant with the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
In 2010, Smart took over for Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
head coach Don Nelson
Don Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors....
before the start of the 2010-11 training camp.
The Warriors fired Smart on April 27, 2011 following a 36 win season. He joined the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
as an assistant coach in November 2011.
Head coaching record
|-| align="left" |CLE
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
| align="left" |
|40||9||31||.255|| align="center" |8th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |GSW
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
|82||36||46||.439|| align="center" |3rd in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||122||45||77||.369|| || || || ||