Adrian 'Odie' Smith, a basketball Hall of Famer who played at Kentucky and in the NBA, dies at 89

TL;DR

Adrian 'Odie' Smith, a Hall of Fame basketball player known for his time at Kentucky and in the NBA, has died at 89. He won a national title with Kentucky and a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.

Key points

Adrian 'Odie' Smith died at age 89
He won a national title with Kentucky in 1958
Smith was MVP of the 1966 NBA All-Star game
He played in the NBA for 10 years
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010

Mentioned in this story

Adrian 'Odie' SmithUniversity of KentuckyCincinnati RoyalsSan Francisco Warriors

1960 Rome OlympicsNBAABA

CINCINNATI (AP) — Adrian “Odie” Smith, whose Hall of Fame basketball career included a college national title with Kentucky, a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics and a 10-year stint in the NBA, has died at age 89. Smith died on April 28th, the University of Kentucky said in a statement. There was no word on how or where Smith died. Smith played for the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) from the 1961-62 NBA season until the 1969-70 season, when he was traded to the San Francisco (now Golden State) Warriors. The 6-foot-1 guard, who was named MVP of the 1966 NBA All-Star game, also played one season in the ABA with the Virginia Squires, finishing his pro career as a teammate of then-rookie Julius “Dr. J” Erving. Smith grew up in rural Graves County, Kentucky, in a farmhouse without electricity or indoor plumbing. His path to profession basketball began with him tossing a homemade ball through a peach basket nailed to a tree. His college career began at Northeast Mississippi Junior College, where his coach persuaded a Kentucky assistant to watch him, resulting in a scholarship offer from the Wildcats. Smith played two seasons for Kentucky, averaging 10.2 points, and was one of the “Fiddlin’ Five” who brought the Wildcats a 1958 national title. Smith served in the U.S. Army and was selected for the U.S. men's national team for 1960 Olympic Games. A year later, he began his NBA career alongside Oscar Robertson in Cincinnati. Smith was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 along with the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team. Smith is survived by his son, Tyler, and his brother, Kenny. \\\_ AP sports:

Q&A

What were Adrian 'Odie' Smith's major achievements in basketball?

Adrian 'Odie' Smith won a national title with Kentucky, a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics, and was named MVP of the 1966 NBA All-Star game.

Which NBA teams did Adrian 'Odie' Smith play for?

Smith played for the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) and the San Francisco Warriors during his NBA career.

When was Adrian 'Odie' Smith inducted into the Hall of Fame?

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.