Donta Smith

Donta Smith
No. 15 – Hapoel Jerusalem
Position Shooting guard / Small forward
League Israeli Basketball Super League
Personal information
Born (1983-11-27) November 27, 1983
Louisville, Kentucky
Nationality American / Venezuelan
Listed height 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight 215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school Oldham County (Buckner, Kentucky)
College Southeastern Illinois (2002–2004)
NBA draft 2004 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career 2004–present
Career history
2004–2006 Atlanta Hawks
2005–2006 →Arkansas RimRockers (D-League)
2007 Academic Sofia (Bulgaria)
2008 Shanxi Zhongyu (China)
2008–2009 South Dragons (Australia)
2009 Gigantes de Carolina (Puerto Rico)
2009–2010 Shanxi Zhongyu (China)
2010 Marinos de Anzoátegui (Venezuela)
2010 Vaqueros de Bayamón (Puerto Rico)
2010 Espartanos de Margarita (Venezuela)
2010–2011 Liaoning Dinosaurs (China)
2011 Marinos de Anzoátegui (Venezuela)
2011 Fuerza Regia (Mexico)
2012 Indios de Mayagüez (Puerto Rico)
2012–2014 Maccabi Haifa B.C. (Israel)
2014–present Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel)
Career highlights and awards
  • Ligat HaAl MVP (2014)
  • Ligat HaAl All-Starting Team (2014)
  • Ligat HaAl champion (2013, 2015)
  • BSN champion (2012)
  • BSN MVP (2012)
  • BSN First Team (2012)
  • BSN Defensive First Team (2012)
  • BSN All-Star (2012)
  • LPB champion (2011)
  • LPB Grand Final MVP (2011)
  • NBL champion (2009)
  • NBL Grand Final MVP (2009)
  • NJCAA All-American First Team (2004)

Donta Lamont Smith (born November 27, 1983) is an American-Venezuelan professional basketball player who currently plays for Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. of the Israeli Basketball Super League.

Amateur career

Smith played his high school ball at Oldham County High School (Buckner, KY), where he was a standout forward on the high school team and record-setting wide receiver on the football team. He also played on the Kentucky (high school) All-Stars in their annual two-game series against the Indiana All-Stars. After two years of junior college basketball at Southeastern Illinois College, Smith was rated as one of the top JUCO prospects and committed to play ball for Rick Pitino at the University of Louisville. But he backed out of the commitment and entered the 2004 NBA Draft instead.

Professional career

Smith was taken by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft after playing college basketball at Southeastern Illinois College and averaged 3.3 points per game for the Hawks during his two-season stint. On December 2, 2005, the Hawks assigned Smith to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Arkansas RimRockers.[1]

In January 2007, Smith signed a one-month contract with Bulgarian champions Academic Sofia, which could possibly be extended to five months. On December 24, 2008, Smith signed with the South Dragons of the Australian National Basketball League. He had previously been with the Chinese Basketball Association's Shanxi Zhongyu but was waived to make roster space available for Bonzi Wells.[2]

In 2009, Smith went on to win the 2009 NBL championship with the South Dragons, and was named Finals MVP after starring for the team in the 5-game series. After one season with the South Dragons, Smith would return to the Shanxi Zhongyu for the 2009–10 season. In December 2010 he signed with the Liaoning Dinosaurs.[3]

In 2011, Smith signed with Fuerza Regia in Mexico.[4] He later played for the Indios de Mayaguez of Puerto Rico,[5] and Maccabi Haifa B.C. of Israel.[6]

Smith led Haifa to its first Israeli League title ever during the 2012-13 season, his first with his team, along with teammate Gal Mekel. In the following season, 2013–14, Smith was awarded the Israeli Basketball League's Most Valuable Player Award, after leading Haifa to the finals for the second time in a row. Haifa, however, could not win the title again, after losing the finals to Euroleague superpower Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 2014 he was chosen as an MVP of the Israeli AllStar match.

In June 2014, after two successful seasons with Haifa, Smith signed a three-year contact with Israeli team Hapoel Jerusalem. In his first season with the team, he was instrumental in its winning its first ever national championship.

Venezuelan national team

In August 2013, Smith was naturalized as a Venezuelan to participate with the country's national basketball team.[7]

References

  1. ↑ HAWKS ASSIGN DONTA SMITH TO NBA D-LEAGUE
  2. ↑ South Dragons welcome recruit Donta Smith
  3. ↑ Good to go: Liaoning signs its second import, Donta Smith
  4. ↑ Fuerza Regia brings in Donta Smith
  5. ↑ Mayagez signs Donta Smith
  6. ↑ Maccabi Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa and Ashdod in the semifinals
  7. ↑ Donta Smith se nacionaliza y se ofrece para jugar con Venezuela

External links

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