Rik Smits
Encyclopedia
Rik Smits is a retired Dutch
professional basketball
player who spent his entire professional career with the Indiana Pacers
of the National Basketball Association
. The 7'4" (2.24 m) center
was drafted by the Pacers out of Marist College
with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft
. The Dutch-born player was nicknamed "The Dunkin' Dutchman".
, but when Stipanovich suffered a terrible injury that ended his career, Smits ended up starting 71 games in his rookie year, averaging 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and earning All-Rookie First Team honors. Smits continued to average double-digit point totals in every year of his career, but it wasn't until 1993-1994 that Smits really came into his own as a team leader.
Throughout the Pacers' playoff runs in the mid- and late-1990s, Smits was considered the number two player, behind Reggie Miller
, on the deeply talented Pacers team. Smits' highest point-per-game average was in 1995–96
when he averaged 18.5 points per game, relatively modest by NBA "superstar" standards, but the Dutchman endeared himself to Pacers fans with outstanding playoff performances.
Smits was named to the Eastern Conference
All-Star team in 1998, delivering 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, including a spectacular behind-the-back pass to New Jersey Nets
forward Jayson Williams
who followed immediately with a slam dunk.
Smits developed nerve damage in his feet from wearing tight shoes as a teenager. Foot problems hobbled Smits for the majority of his career, and he retired at the conclusion of the Pacers' 1999–2000 season
, after Indiana was defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers
in the NBA Finals 4 games to 2.
After four surgeries to repair nerve damage to his feet, Smits underwent intensive back surgery in November 2009 to correct cracks in one joint that link his vertebrae. Smits has also undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and had bone chips removed from his left ankle.
Rik Smits was selected to the Pacers' 40th Anniversary Team, which was chosen by the fans. He ended up with the fourth most votes, trailing only Reggie Miller
, Mel Daniels
and Jermaine O'Neal
.
motorcycles. On November 30, 2011, the erstwhile Marist and Pacers center
was featured in a www.LostLetterman.com article, via Yahoo! Sports
, about his formal participation in competitive bicycle motorcross racing.
| align="left" | 1988–89
| align="left" | Indiana
| 82 || 71 || 24.9 || .517 || .000 || .722 || 6.1 || .9 || 0.4 || 1.8 || 11.7
|-
| align="left" | 1989–90
| align="left" | Indiana
| 82 || 82 || 29.3 || .533 || .000 || .811 || 6.2 || 1.7 || .6 || 2.1 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" | 1990–91
| align="left" | Indiana
| 76 || 38 || 22.2 || .485 || .000 || .762 || 4.7 || 1.1 || .3 || 1.5 || 10.9
|-
| align="left" | 1991–92
| align="left" | Indiana
| 74 || 55 || 23.9 || .510 || .000 || .788 || 5.6 || 1.6 || .4 || 1.4 || 13.8
|-
| align="left" | 1992-93
| align="left" | Indiana
| 81 || 81 || 25.6 || .486 || .000 || .732 || 5.3 || 1.5 || .3 || .9 || 14.3
|-
| align="left" | 1993–94
| align="left" | Indiana
| 78 || 75 || 27.1 || .534 || .000 || .793 || 6.2 || 2.0 || .6 || 1.0 || 15.7
|-
| align="left" | 1994–95
| align="left" | Indiana
| 78 || 78 || 30.5 || .526 || .000 || .753 || 7.7 || 1.4 || .5 || 1.0 || 17.9
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Indiana
| 63 || 63 || 30.2 || .521 || .200 || .788 || 6.9 || 1.7 || .3 || 0.7 || 18.5
|-
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | Indiana
| 52 || 52 || 29.2 || .486 || .250 || .797 || 6.9 || 1.3 || .4 || 1.1 || 17.1
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | Indiana
| 73 || 69 || 28.6 || .495 || .000 || .783 || 6.9 || 1.4 || .6 || 1.2 || 16.7
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | Indiana
| 49 || 49 || 25.9 || .490 || .000 || .818 || 5.6 || 1.1 || .4 || 1.1 || 14.9
|-
| align="left" | 1999–2000
| align="left" | Indiana
| 79 || 79 || 23.4 || .484 || .000 || .739 || 5.1 || 1.1 || .2 || 1.3 || 12.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 867 || 792 || 26.6 || .507 || .115 || .773 || 6.1 || 1.4 || .4 || 1.2 || 14.8
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 21.0 || .429 || .000 || 1.000 || 7.0 || 4.0 || .0 || 2.0 || 10.0
| align="left" | 1989–90
| align="left" | Indiana
| 3 || 3 || 32.0 || .500 || .000 || .818 || 5.3 || 1.0 || .7 || 1.3 || 12.3
|-
| align="left" | 1990–91
| align="left" | Indiana
| 5 || 0 || 17.6 || .568 || .000 || .875 || 3.6 || .4 || .2 || 1.4 || 9.8
|-
| align="left" | 1991–92
| align="left" | Indiana
| 3 || 1 || 9.3 || .364 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.0 || .0 || .7 || .3 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 1992–93
| align="left" | Indiana
| 4 || 4 || 35.8 || .578 || .000 || .727 || 8.0 || 1.8 || 1.2 || 1.0 || 22.5
|-
| align="left" | 1993–94
| align="left" | Indiana
| 16 || 16 || 28.1 || .472 || .000 || .806 || 5.3 || 1.9 || .6 || .6 || 16.0
|-
| align="left" | 1994–95
| align="left" | Indiana
| 17 || 17 || 32.1 || .547 || 1.000 || .804 || 7.0 || 2.0 || 0.3 || 0.8 || 20.1
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Indiana
| 5 || 5 || 33.2 || .545 || .000 || .786 || 7.4 || 1.6 || .4 || .4 || 19.0
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | Indiana
| 16 || 16 || 29.8 || .502 || .000 || .859 || 5.3 || 1.3 || .5 || .9 || 16.6
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | Indiana
| 13 || 13 || 22.5 || .456 || .000 || .950 || 5.0 || .7 || .5 || 1.2 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Indiana
| 22 || 21 || 21.0 || .498 || .000 || .875 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .4 || .9 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 104 || 96 || 26.4 || .507 || .250 || .829 || 5.2 || 1.3 || .5 || .9 || 14.8
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
professional 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 who spent his entire professional career with the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
of the National Basketball Association
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...
. The 7'4" (2.24 m) center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
was drafted by the Pacers out of Marist College
Marist College
Marist College is a private liberal arts college on the east bank of the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, New York. The site was established in 1905 by Marist Brothers, and the college was chartered in 1929...
with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft
1988 NBA Draft
The 1988 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1988 in New York City, New York. The length was reduced from seven rounds in the previous year to three rounds.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Notable undrafted players:...
. The Dutch-born player was nicknamed "The Dunkin' Dutchman".
Biography
Smits originally backed up Steve StipanovichSteve Stipanovich
Stephen Samuel Stipanovich is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6-ft 11-inch center from the University of Missouri, Stipanovich was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the second pick of the 1983 NBA Draft...
, but when Stipanovich suffered a terrible injury that ended his career, Smits ended up starting 71 games in his rookie year, averaging 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and earning All-Rookie First Team honors. Smits continued to average double-digit point totals in every year of his career, but it wasn't until 1993-1994 that Smits really came into his own as a team leader.
Throughout the Pacers' playoff runs in the mid- and late-1990s, Smits was considered the number two player, behind Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
, on the deeply talented Pacers team. Smits' highest point-per-game average was in 1995–96
1995-96 NBA season
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season of the National Basketball Association , although the league didn't celebrate this anniversary until the following season...
when he averaged 18.5 points per game, relatively modest by NBA "superstar" standards, but the Dutchman endeared himself to Pacers fans with outstanding playoff performances.
Smits was named to the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
All-Star team in 1998, delivering 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, including a spectacular behind-the-back pass to New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
forward Jayson Williams
Jayson Williams
Jayson Williams is an American former professional basketball player. Standing 6 feet, 10 inches tall, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association. In 2010, he pled guilty to assault in the shooting death of a limousine driver...
who followed immediately with a slam dunk.
Smits developed nerve damage in his feet from wearing tight shoes as a teenager. Foot problems hobbled Smits for the majority of his career, and he retired at the conclusion of the Pacers' 1999–2000 season
1999-2000 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
, after Indiana was defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the NBA Finals 4 games to 2.
After four surgeries to repair nerve damage to his feet, Smits underwent intensive back surgery in November 2009 to correct cracks in one joint that link his vertebrae. Smits has also undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and had bone chips removed from his left ankle.
Rik Smits was selected to the Pacers' 40th Anniversary Team, which was chosen by the fans. He ended up with the fourth most votes, trailing only Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
, Mel Daniels
Mel Daniels
Melvin Joe Daniels is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6' 9" center, he played for the University of New Mexico Lobo men's basketball team from 1964-67...
and Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine Lee O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 6 ft 11 in , 255 lb forward-center had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school...
.
Life after the NBA
In his retirement, Smits is devoting his time to collecting and racing vintage motocrossMotocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
motorcycles. On November 30, 2011, the erstwhile Marist and Pacers center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
was featured in a www.LostLetterman.com article, via Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports was launched on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc., employs various writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American sport...
, about his formal participation in competitive bicycle motorcross racing.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 1988–89
| align="left" | Indiana
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 82 || 71 || 24.9 || .517 || .000 || .722 || 6.1 || .9 || 0.4 || 1.8 || 11.7
|-
| align="left" | 1989–90
| align="left" | Indiana
| 82 || 82 || 29.3 || .533 || .000 || .811 || 6.2 || 1.7 || .6 || 2.1 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" | 1990–91
| align="left" | Indiana
| 76 || 38 || 22.2 || .485 || .000 || .762 || 4.7 || 1.1 || .3 || 1.5 || 10.9
|-
| align="left" | 1991–92
| align="left" | Indiana
| 74 || 55 || 23.9 || .510 || .000 || .788 || 5.6 || 1.6 || .4 || 1.4 || 13.8
|-
| align="left" | 1992-93
1992-93 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns*Rookie of the Year: Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 81 || 81 || 25.6 || .486 || .000 || .732 || 5.3 || 1.5 || .3 || .9 || 14.3
|-
| align="left" | 1993–94
| align="left" | Indiana
| 78 || 75 || 27.1 || .534 || .000 || .793 || 6.2 || 2.0 || .6 || 1.0 || 15.7
|-
| align="left" | 1994–95
| align="left" | Indiana
| 78 || 78 || 30.5 || .526 || .000 || .753 || 7.7 || 1.4 || .5 || 1.0 || 17.9
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Indiana
| 63 || 63 || 30.2 || .521 || .200 || .788 || 6.9 || 1.7 || .3 || 0.7 || 18.5
|-
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | Indiana
| 52 || 52 || 29.2 || .486 || .250 || .797 || 6.9 || 1.3 || .4 || 1.1 || 17.1
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | Indiana
| 73 || 69 || 28.6 || .495 || .000 || .783 || 6.9 || 1.4 || .6 || 1.2 || 16.7
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | Indiana
| 49 || 49 || 25.9 || .490 || .000 || .818 || 5.6 || 1.1 || .4 || 1.1 || 14.9
|-
| align="left" | 1999–2000
| align="left" | Indiana
| 79 || 79 || 23.4 || .484 || .000 || .739 || 5.1 || 1.1 || .2 || 1.3 || 12.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 867 || 792 || 26.6 || .507 || .115 || .773 || 6.1 || 1.4 || .4 || 1.2 || 14.8
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 21.0 || .429 || .000 || 1.000 || 7.0 || 4.0 || .0 || 2.0 || 10.0
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1989–90
1990 NBA Playoffs
The 1990 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989-1990 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons successfully defending their championship by beating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers...
| align="left" | Indiana
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 3 || 3 || 32.0 || .500 || .000 || .818 || 5.3 || 1.0 || .7 || 1.3 || 12.3
|-
| align="left" | 1990–91
1991 NBA Playoffs
The 1991 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship via a four-games-to-one victory over the Western Conference champion Los...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 5 || 0 || 17.6 || .568 || .000 || .875 || 3.6 || .4 || .2 || 1.4 || 9.8
|-
| align="left" | 1991–92
1992 NBA Playoffs
NBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 3 || 1 || 9.3 || .364 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.0 || .0 || .7 || .3 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 1992–93
1993 NBA Playoffs
The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 4 || 4 || 35.8 || .578 || .000 || .727 || 8.0 || 1.8 || 1.2 || 1.0 || 22.5
|-
| align="left" | 1993–94
1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 16 || 16 || 28.1 || .472 || .000 || .806 || 5.3 || 1.9 || .6 || .6 || 16.0
|-
| align="left" | 1994–95
1995 NBA Playoffs
The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 17 || 17 || 32.1 || .547 || 1.000 || .804 || 7.0 || 2.0 || 0.3 || 0.8 || 20.1
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
1996 NBA Playoffs
The 1996 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995-1996 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship in three years by defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 5 || 5 || 33.2 || .545 || .000 || .786 || 7.4 || 1.6 || .4 || .4 || 19.0
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 16 || 16 || 29.8 || .502 || .000 || .859 || 5.3 || 1.3 || .5 || .9 || 16.6
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 13 || 13 || 22.5 || .456 || .000 || .950 || 5.0 || .7 || .5 || 1.2 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
2000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 22 || 21 || 21.0 || .498 || .000 || .875 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .4 || .9 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 104 || 96 || 26.4 || .507 || .250 || .829 || 5.2 || 1.3 || .5 || .9 || 14.8