Elmore Smith

Elmore Smith

Smith (left) and Wilt Chamberlain battle for a rebound, circa 1971
Personal information
Born (1949-05-09) May 9, 1949
Macon, Georgia
Nationality American
Listed height 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight 250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school Ballard-Hudson (Macon, Georgia)
College Kentucky State (1968–1971)
NBA draft 1971 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Buffalo Braves
Playing career 1971–1979
Position Center
Number 3
Career history
1971–1973 Buffalo Braves
1973–1975 Los Angeles Lakers
1975–1977 Milwaukee Bucks
1977–1979 Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points 7,541 (13.4 ppg)
Rebounds 5,962 (10.6 rpg)
Blocks 1,183 (2.9 bpg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Elmore Smith (born May 9, 1949) is an American retired professional basketball player born in Macon, Georgia. A 7'0" center from Kentucky State University, he played in the National Basketball Association from 1971 to 1979. He was a member of the Buffalo Braves, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

In his first season, Smith averaged 17.3 points per game and 15.2 rebounds per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. His rebounding average for that season is the eighth-highest ever recorded by an NBA rookie.

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 and 1975), and holds the NBA record for most blocked shots in a game since 1973, with 17.[1] He achieved this mark against the Portland Trail Blazers 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 (13.4 points, 10.6 rebounds) over the course of his career.

Smith was one of four players the Lakers traded to Milwaukee (along Brian Winters and draft picks Junior Bridgeman and Dave Meyers) in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after the 1974–75 NBA season. He holds the Los Angeles Clippers' (formerly the Buffalo Braves) franchise record for rebounds per game (13.8).

Statistics

SEASON TEAM GP MPG SPG BPG RPG APG PPG
'71-72 BUF 78 40.8 15.2 1.4 17.3
'72-73 BUF 76 37.2 12.4 2.5 18.3
'73-74 LAL 81 36.1 0.9 4.9 11.2 1.9 12.5
'74-75 LAL 74 31.6 1.1 2.9 10.9 2.0 10.9
'75-76 MIL 78 36.0 1.0 3.1 11.4 1.2 15.6
'76-77 CLE 70 20.9 0.5 2.1 6.3 0.6 8.6
'77-78 CLE 81 24.6 0.6 2.2 8.4 0.7 12.5
'78-79 CLE 24 13.8 0.3 0.7 4.4 0.5 6.5

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Regular Season Records: Blocked Shots". nba.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
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