Joe Smith Basketball

Professional basketball forward Joe Smith plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was selected in the first-round, number one overall, in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, and finished his inaugural 1995-96 NBA season third in Rookie of the Year voting.http://www.nba.com/playerfile/joe_smith/bio.html

On December 15, 2010, Smith was traded by the New Jersey Nets to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team deal that also included the Houston Rockets. The deal sent Smith and two second-round draft picks to L.A. in exchange for a 2011 first-round draft pick and shooting guard Sasha Vujacic. The Nets also sent guard Terrence Williams to Houston in exchange for a 2012 first-round draft pick.http://www.examiner.com/los-angeles-lakers-hater-in-boston/lakers-actually-used-their-heads-on-the-three-team-trade Smith is considered a versatile player that can play forward and center, a good defender that is able to knock down 15 to 18 foot jump shots. The Lakers are the 12th team he has played for in his 16-year career.http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/16/sports/la-sp-lakers-fyi-20101217

Joe Smith was born in Norfolk, Virginia on July 26, 1975. The 6'10 center and forward has three children with his wife Yolanda: son Cameron and daughters Alanna and Jamie. The youngest of seven children, Smith helps underprivileged kids through his Joe Smith Foundation. In his free time he enjoys rapping as his alter ego, Joe Beast, and even has his own record label, Nova Unit Records.http://www.nba.com/playerfile/joe_smith/bio.html

Joe Smith was the first overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, and made his NBA debut in 1995 for the Warriors, playing in 82 games that season. On February 17, 1998, Smith was traded alongside Brian Shaw to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jim Jackson and Clarence Weatherspoon. It marked the first of many trades and free agent signings spanning over 16 years and 12 teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Minnestoa Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and the New Jersey Jets.http://www.nba.com/playerfile/joe_smith/bio.htmlhttp://www.nba.com/playerfile/joe_smith/career_stats.html

In over 1,000 NBA games as of December 17, 2010, Joe Smith has logged over 6,557 rebounds, 11,202 points, and 1,007 assists.http://www.nba.com/playerfile/joe_smith/career_stats.html Although his two best seasons came in his first two years in the NBA with the Warriors, Smith has continued to put up solid numbers. In 57 career playoff appearances, he has posted 337 points, 242 rebounds, 20 assists, and 1,067 minutes.http://www.nba.com/playerfile/joe_smith/career_stats.html