Quick Facts
| Full Name | Craig Smith |
| Date of Birth | November 10, 1983 |
| Birth Place | Inglewood, California, the USA |
| Nick Name | Black Rhino |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Age | 38 years old |
| Height | 2.01 m (6 feet 7 inches) |
| Weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Craig Smith Sr. |
| Mother’s Name | Linda Christian |
| Siblings | Not available |
| Food Habit | Not available |
| Education |
|
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Girlfriend | None |
| Kids | None |
| Former Profession | Basketball player |
| NBA Draft | 2006 / Round: 2 / 36th pick overall |
| Position | Power forward |
| League | National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| Active Years | (2006 – 2015) |
| Net Worth | $1-$5 million |
| Currently Plays for | None / Retired |
| Jersey Number | 83, 5, 1 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | T-Shirt, Fleece Hoodie |
| Last Update | August 2022 |
American-born Craig Smith played basketball professionally in the past. He has nine years of experience playing in the NBA and other professional basketball leagues.
Smith’s professional career began when the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him in the 2006 NBA Draft.
He played club basketball abroad from 2012 to 2015.
Before entering the NBA, Craig spent four years playing college basketball for the Boston College Eagles.
One of the most exciting young NBA prospects of the 2000s was the Californian giant. Now, given his predicament, that might sound odd, but the statistics are accurate.
He is regarded as one of the top collegiate ballers even by the prominent sports magazine of the time.
The 2013 NBL China scoring tournament is won by Smith. Similar to that, in 2007 the NBA included him on the All-Rookie Second Team. In addition, he won a lot of awards and accolades before joining the NBA.
Childhood, Family, and Education
On November 10, 1983, Craig Smith was born in Inglewood, California, in the United States. He is the son of Craig Smith Sr. and Linda Christian, both natives of California. However, Linda, his mother, was his exclusive caregiver.
Although Smith was raised in Los Angeles and attended school there, he was actually born in Inglewood. His mother, Linda, was a smart woman who had previously worked at the UCLA Medical Center as an administrative assistant.
Since his mother made a nice living, he did not have a difficult childhood. Of course, he spent the most of his time learning his schoolwork, but his mother instilled in him a second passion when he was still a young child.
Craig started playing basketball when he was just three years old thanks to Linda. His enthusiasm for the sport has grown ever since.
His mother loved the NBA and her favorite players included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier, Jerry West, and others.
Craig had a natural talent for basketball, despite being ungainly and obese as a child. He frequently played basketball in the surrounding park over the holidays with her mother and the locals.
Around the age of six, he began competing in organized basketball competitions. When Craig was ten years old, he was playing with teenagers and the promising adult. However, he had a lot of difficulties at the time because of his weight.
After graduating from Fairfax High School in 2000, Smith enrolled in Boston College in Massachusetts in 2002. He was had to enroll in a class at the Worcester Academy in Massachusetts for an entire year due to his unsatisfactory grades.
Smith received a Bachelor of Sociology from Boston College in 2006.
How did Craig Smith Start Basketball Career?
Craig completed his secondary school education at Worcester Academy and Fairfax High School prior to enrolling in college. He had, however, enrolled at Worcester as a graduate student, thus he played basketball for Fairfax School during his high school career.
He averaged 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game for them in Massachusetts during the 2001–2002 season.
Because he was taller than his friends, Smith primarily played as a power forward and center for Fairfax. Harvey Kitani, the head coach of his school, said Craig showed a lot of enthusiasm for the game but lacked the requisite quickness.
However, his high school statistics were remarkable. He averaged 23.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game during his final year.
College Career
At the end of his high school career, Craig had earned scholarship offers from a number of colleges, including Oregon State. They canceled it, though, citing his poor academic performance and physical condition.
In 2002, he finally enrolled at Boston College in Massachusetts. Smith had a strong start to his college career and concluded with an average of 19.9 points and 7.9 points per game in his first year.
The following three seasons saw no change in his performance. He also developed his defensive skills during that period and distinguished himself as one of the top college rebounders.
In his final season of college, Craig Smith averaged 17.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. After Troy Bell, he graduated from Boston College in 2006 with the second-highest score, 2349 points.
Professional Career
Craig Smith was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 36th overall pick in round two of the 2006 NBA Draft. Consequently, on August 30, 2006, he executed a deal with them.
The Timberwolves didn’t initially give him many opportunities, but they eventually started him in every game throughout the season. Smith played all season long, starting the final five games and averaging 12.0 points and 10.2 rebounds.
In contrast, Craig had a 7.4 point and 5.1 rebound average in his first season. He was named to the 2007 NBA All-Rookie Second Team for his efforts during the season.
He then played for the Minnesota Timberwolves for two further seasons, finishing in 2009. Although he increased his point totals, his overall performance was very similar to that of his rookie year.
On July 20, 2009, the team dealt him to the Los Angeles Clippers. In the 2011–12 season, he played for the Portland Trail Blazers. He then left the country to continue his professional career abroad.
Craig played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League for one season after signing with Hapoel Jerusalem on August 11, 2012. He had a brief appearance in 2013’s NBL China for the Hong Kong Bulls.
In addition, he continued to play on the court even after taking a rest. In 2013, he took part in The Basketball Tournament with Team CitiTeam Blazers. Since 2019, Smith has participated in various BIG3 editions.
Awards & Achievements
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2007)
- NBL China scoring champion (2013)
- First-team All-ACC (2006)
- Big East All-Rookie Team (2003)
- First-team All-Big East (2004, 2005)
- Second-team All-American – NABC (2006)
- Third-team All-American – NABC (2005)
- Third-team All-American – AP (2006)
- Gold medal at the Summer Universiade (2005)
How was the Networth Value of Craig Smith?
Craig Smith, a six-year NBA veteran who has already retired, has a net worth that ranges from $1 million to $5 million.
After agreeing to a multi-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he began his playing career in 2006. He received about $413k from the team during his first season.
He spent two more seasons with the Timberwolves, who paid him a total of little under $3 million for those two years. After that, he earned an additional $4.8 million while playing for the LA Clippers up until 2011.
The Portland Trail Blazers made him a similar offer for the 2011–12 year, which was close to $1 million. In conclusion, his earnings from his NBA career total around $10 million.
Craig has also participated in some lucrative overseas competitions and NBA lower leagues.
Additionally, after retiring, Craig got involved in a variety of industries and is currently leading a comfortable life. He works as a writer and blogger in addition to coaching at Crossroads School in California, and both of those jobs pay well.
Also Read ABout Nolan Smith
What is the Relationship status of Craig Smith?
Craig Smith is a dashing man with a captivating personality and a great physique. Since his early basketball years, the athlete has drawn a lot of attention from fans because of these traits.
He’s received marriage proposals from his female followers on multiple occasions. In order to concentrate on his job, the footballer did not want to remain in a relationship at the moment.
However, there was a rumor that Craig was seeing Claudia Cirillo in 2008. He frequently spent out with her because she was his best buddy from childhood.
Before he ran into her at a party while still a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the two had fallen out of touch for a number of years. After then, there had been media rumors that they had started dating, but things had since calmed down.
But, now that he has already taken a vacation from league games, he still has no plans to marry. He is therefore most likely still unmarried after all these years.
What is te Physical Measurement of Craig?
Craig Smith will be 38 years old in 2022.
Smith struggled a lot as a child because of his weight. Even worse, his bulky build caused him to miss many opportunities.
Smith was still in high school and about 6 feet tall, weighing 272 pounds.
He did, however, lose body fat while exercising in his college years. Smith quickly lost weight, down to 260 lbs, which gave him confidence. He claims that he had always desired to play basketball, and in order to realize that dream, he had to struggle to keep his body in good shape.
Smith’s height and weight at this time are 2.01 meters (6 feet 7 inches) and 265 lbs, respectively (120 kg). The player also has black eyes and black hair
Social MediA.
Instagram username: @blackrhiono83