Stevin Smith Explained

Stevin Smith
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lbs:195
Birth Date:24 January 1972
Birth Place:Dallas, Texas, U.S.
High School:H. Grady Spruce (Dallas, Texas)
College:Arizona State (1990–1994)
Draft Year:1994
Career Start:1994
Career End:2008
Career Number:1
Career Position:Shooting guard
Years1:1994
Team1:Somontano Huesca
Years2:1994–1995
Team2:Grand Rapids Hoops
Years3:1995
Team3:Sunkist Orange Juicers
Years4:1995–1996
Team4:Grand Rapids Hoops
Years5:1996–1997
Team5:Sioux Falls Skyforce
Years7:1997–1998
Team7:Olympique Antibes
Years8:1998–1999
Team8:Kuşadası
Years9:2000–2001
Team9:Olympique Antibes
Years10:2001–2002
Team10:SLUC Nancy
Years11:2002–2003
Team11:ASVEL Villeurbanne
Years12:2003–2004
Team12:Ironi Nahariya
Years13:2004–2006
Team13:Dynamo Moscow Region
Years14:2006–2007
Team14:Scafati Basket
Years15:2007–2008
Team15:Lukoil Academic
Highlights:

Stevin L. "Hedake" Smith (born January 24, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player, who is also known for his involvement in the 1994 Arizona State point-shaving scandal.[1]

Early life

Smith was born in Dallas, Texas, the only son of Eunice Smith. He was an outstanding high school basketball player. He played at Arizona State University under head coach Bill Frieder. His "Hedake" nickname originally came from his mother, who called her rambunctious child "Headache", but had to shorten the spelling for a personalized license plate.[2]

College career

Stevin “Hedake” Smith played point guard for Arizona State University from 1991 through 1994, and was a two-time All-Pac-10 selection. However, he also became involved in the 1994 Arizona State point-shaving scandal along with ASU teammate Isaac Burton. Smith would bet on his own games that he was fixing and received $20,000 for shaving points in the game against Oregon State on January 28, 1994.[3] He was arrested in the summer of 1997, and in December 1997, Smith and Burton pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges, admitting taking bribes to fix four games in 1994[4] Smith was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.[3]

Smith holds the Arizona State career records for most three-point shots attempted and most three-point shots made. He shares the career record for most steals with Fat Lever.[5]

Professional basketball career

After failing to make an NBA team after leaving college in 1994, Smith took his game overseas, playing for the Spanish team Somontano Huesca during the 1994–95 season. Over the next four years, Smith played for teams in the Philippines, Turkey, France and in the CBA.

During the 1997 NBA season, Smith signed two consecutive 10-day contracts with the Dallas Mavericks, and received his only NBA playing time. He played 60 minutes over eight games, scoring 14 points for a 1.8 per-game average.

After his release from prison in 2000, Smith returned to Europe and his professional basketball career, playing for three different teams based in France from 2001 to 2003, in the Israeli League in 2004 and for Dynamo Moscow in Russia for two seasons until 2006. In 2006–07, Smith joined Legea Scafati of the Italian Serie A league.[6]

Post-playing career

Stevin Smith later became the Vice President of the N.O.W. Program, a mentoring program for young people in the Dallas area.[7] [3]

In popular culture

Smith is the subject of an episode of the 2021 Netflix documentary series Bad Sport.[8]

References

  1. News: Richie Whitt . Mavs Ex 'Headake' Smith Offers Cautionary Tale on Sports Gambling . 15 October 2021 . . 20 May 2020.
  2. Web site: He died. Whitt . The lifetime 'headake' of Stevin Smith . 2019 . Press Box DFW . 2021-10-09.
  3. Hard Knock Life... . Rus . Bradburd . . 2010-10-06 . 2011-03-09 . SLAM online "Old School" feature.
  4. News: Point-Shaving Scandal Hits Arizona State . . . 1997-12-06 . 2011-03-09 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110314190939/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/06/sports/sp-61336 . 2011-03-14.
  5. Web site: Arizona State's Top-25 Basketball Players . 2004-01-01 . 2014-07-27 . scout.com.
  6. http://www.eurobasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=ITA&Team=2123 EUROBASKET - Legea Scafati Basket basketball - team details, stats, news, roster
  7. http://thenowprogram.org/html/co-founder-b1.html thenowprogram.org
  8. News: Roeper . Richard . Richard Roeper . Scandals in the wins: A review of Netflix's 'Bad Sport' . . 2021-10-02 . 2021-10-09.

External links