Quick Facts
| Full Name | Nolan Derek Smith |
| Birth Date | July 25, 1988 |
| Birth Place | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| High School | Oak Hill Academy |
| College | Duke University |
| Playing Career | 2011 – 2015 |
| Zodiac | Leo |
| Chinese Zodiac | Dragon |
| Father’s Name | Derek Smith |
| Mother’s Name | Monica Smith |
| Siblings | One sister (Sydney Smith) |
| Age | 34 years old |
| Height | 6 feet 4 inches |
| Weight | 84 kg |
| NBA Draft | Round: 1, Pick: 21st overall, 2011 |
| Shoots | Right |
| Food Habits | Non-veg |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Cheyna Smith |
| Children | Two |
| Jersey Number | 4 |
| Coaching Career | 2016 – present |
| Position | Assistant Coach |
| League | ACC |
| Net Worth | $2-$3 million |
| Annual Salary | $400,000 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Cards |
| Last Update | August 2022 |
Former American professional basketball player Nolan Smith is now the Louisville Cardinals’ men’s basketball team’s assistant coach.
Smith can effectively manage an offense with the ball in his hands thanks to his great basketball IQ and superb ball security. Although he is a competent outside shooter, he performs best when someone opens up looks for him.
The player’s attentiveness also enables him to read defenses and deliver the ideal pass at the ideal moment. Nolan’s length, intellect, and effort are his strongest defensive attributes.
Have questions about Nolan Smith? If so, read the entire article right away! But first, let’s look at a few key details concerning Smith.
Childhood And Family
The NBA player Nolan Smith was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on July 25, 1988. His nationality is therefore American.
Derek Smith is his father, while Monica Smith is his mother.
Sydney Smith, Nolan’s older sister, is another family member.
While playing basketball at Louisville, Nolan’s father was a member of the 1980 NCAA championship squad that defeated UCLA. He was an NBA player for nine years.
Death of Nolan’s Father
In August 1996, Derek, Nolan’s father, took Bullets and Capitals season ticket holders on a vacation aboard the MS Dreamward of Norwegian Cruise Line. He invited his family along as well.
Tim Legler, a former player for the Bullets, and Derek agreed to run basketball clinics during the cruise.
On August 9, 1996, Derek allegedly had a major heart attack when his teammates were present at a cocktail party.
The ship was headed back to New York City and was at that point close to Bermuda. He was revived for 25 minutes by ship medics. They were unable to save him, though.
Nolan was just eight years old at the time, and he looked up to his father. His life was profoundly affected by the passing of his father.
How did he start his Career?
As an eighth-grader at The Key School in Annapolis, Maryland, Nolan participated in varsity basketball. He then changed schools, enrolling in St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C., for the 2003–04 school year.
At St. John’s, the player was chosen for the conference’s third team. He was a sophomore in 2004–2005 at Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Smith oversaw Riverdale’s 33-1 run.
Nolan spent his junior and senior years at Oak Hill Academy near the Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. The athlete, a two-year captain, shared the court with Ty Lawson, Michael Beasley, and Brandon Jennings, all future NBA stars.
He guided Oak Hill to a final USA Today No. 2 national rating and a 40-1 overall record in the 2005–06 season by averaging 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals per game.
College Career
In 2010–11, Nolan started 37 games as a senior. After becoming the 11th Duke player to lead the conference in scoring, he was awarded the school’s 12th ACC Player of the Year.
The player was also put forward for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, Bob Cousy Award, Naismith Trophy, and Wooden Award.
On February 9, 2011, Nolan defeated No. 20 North Carolina at home and scored 34 points while attempting a career-high 13 field goals.
Kyle Singler, a fellow senior, and Smith shared the role of team captain in 2010–2011. Only nine players under Mike Krzyzewski averaged more than 20.0 points per contest before him.
In addition, his 764 total points in 2010–11 were the 19th time a Duke player scored 700 or more and the ninth-highest single-season total.
Professional NBA Career
Nolan was chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 21st overall choice in the 2011 NBA Draft. On December 9, 2011, he agreed to a rookie scale contract with the Trail Blazers.
As a rookie, he participated in 44 games (four of which he started), averaging 12.3 minutes per game, 3.8 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 rebounds. On January 6, 2013, Nolan was transferred to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League.
The NBA D-League Showcase 2013 in Reno saw Idaho play in both contests, and on January 9 the Trail Blazers called up the player.
In July 2013, Smith signed up with the Boston Celtics for the 2013 NBA Summer League. He participated in one game and scored four points.
On August 18, 2013, Nolan agreed to a one-year contract with Cedevita Zagreb of the Croatian League.
For the 2014 NBA Summer League, Nolan signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in July of that year. In five games, he averaged 4.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.
On August 29, 2014, the athlete also agreed to a one-year contract with Turkish Basketball League team Galatasaray Liv Hospital. On the other hand, he cut ties with Galatasaray on October 27, 2014.
The Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League acquired Nolan on November 26, 2014. On January 15, 2015, the 87ers officially concluded his playing career by waiving him.
Also Read About NBA record: Five different players make triple-double on the same day
Facts and Trivia
Nolan enjoyed a good reputation among his teammates during his time in college. Nolan was the center of attention in the locker room because of his enthusiasm for the sport and his capacity to remain upbeat and carefree under pressure.
Similar to how Nolan earned widespread media coverage after making a buzzer-beating three-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining in the semifinal of the ABA League Final Four.
The famed Serbian club Partizan was excluded from the Euroleague for the first time in 14 years as a result of his action, which guaranteed his team’s place in the 2014–15 season.
The footballer was sent out of the stadium by head coach Ergin Ataman on October 19, 2014, after throwing a towel while being substituted in during a Turkish League game against Banvit.
He expressed regret for the situation later.
Awards
- Croatian League champion, Croatian Cup champion, Croatian League All-Star (2014)
- NCAA champion (2010)
- Consensus first-team All-American, ACC Player of the Year, First-team All-ACC, ACC All-Defensive Team (2011)
- Second-team All-ACC (2010)
- McDonald’s All-American, First-team Parade All-American (2007)
Coaching Career
On February 22, 2016, Nolan was hired as a special assistant by the Duke Blue Devils’ coaching staff.
He was elevated to the position of director of basketball operations and player development in March 2018. Likewise, he was appointed an assistant coach in April 2021.
On April 4, 2022, the former player became a member of the coaching staff for the Louisville Cardinals, reporting to Kenny Payne.
Smith’s father, Derek Smith, played at Louisville and was a part of the 1980 winning squad.
What is the Physical Measurement of Smith?
Former NBA player Nolan Smith has a powerful body and an athletic build. The player is about 84 kg in weight. Smith is the same height at 6 feet 4 inches.
The athlete is 34 years of age. According to the Chinese calendar, he was born in the year of the Dragon. Smith shares the same astrological sign as Leo.
Tattoos
Nolan claims that having tattoos is how he likes to express himself. The player inks himself whenever a fresh thought enters his mind. The outcome is that the player has numerous tattoos on his or her body.
When Nolan was 16 years old, he received his very first tattoo. He wished to honor his father and keep him in his memory forever.
In order to acquire a tattoo of his father on his arm, he sought his mother for permission. The idea of tattooing the body was never one Monica was fond of. But she concurred.
On his right bicep, the athlete has a tattooed image of his father with the phrase “Forever Watching” written above it.
The player also has a tattoo that reads “Family 1st” on his chest. The phrases Monica and Sydney are inscribed above and below another tattoo of the planet that he has.
Another tattoo on Nolan’s body says “Built to Win.” His other tattoo says, “Never be rejected,” in a similar manner. The player’s stomach bears the Final 4 logo.
The Story of the Smiths
Cheyna was a freshman at the University of North Carolina and Nolan was a senior at Duke University when they first met.
Nolan had just finished playing in a basketball game in Maryland on February 2, 2011, when a supporter of the opposing side tweeted something incredibly disparaging about him.
Cheyna happened to catch the Tweet and responded right away with a Tweet on how impolite and inappropriate his statement was. Later that evening, she was only partially awake when her phone rang.
Despite the fact that they weren’t friends, Nolan slid into her Twitter DMs to thank her for standing up for him. He made light of the rivalry between Duke and Carolina, which sparked further jokes.
Engagement
In 2015, Kobe, their new dog that they had just acquired, was the subject of a Christmas photo shoot request from Chenya to Nolan.
They visited the Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke Gardens, and Duke Chapel after Nolan let her choose where she wanted to go.
Prior to visiting the Chapel, the pair first visited Duke Gardens. Cheyna recalls that at that point, the humidity had completely damaged her hair, and she was prepared to give up on Cameron. But Nolan argued that they had to do it because he had already paid for it.
Nolan pretended to need to “use the restroom” when the couple got at Cameron, but this turned out to be a stall tactic to delay the arrival of the relatives and friends.
The lighting was off when they entered Cameron. At that same moment, Nolan seized Cheyna and clung to her tightly while kissing her.
Cheyna looked around to view her loved ones when Nolan released her grip. The rest of history began with Nolan getting down on one knee.
Did you know Relationship status of Nolan Smith?
Six years after they initially met, in August of 2017, the pair became husband and wife. The high school sweethearts wed at Duke University in a romantic and cutting-edge ceremony.
They spent their honeymoon in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Nolan and his wife Cheyna are parents to two kids.
They had a girl, Camryn Smith, as their first child. They also had a boy, Derek Indy Smith, as their second child.
Of course, Nolan’s father is honored by the first name. Additionally, “Indy” is Duke’s second home, having played host to three of its five national championships, including the inaugural contest in 1991 and the most recent in 2015.
How was the Networth Value of Smith?
Nolan Smith will receive a base salary of $400,000 as Payne’s first assistant, according to a signed offer letter that the Courier-Journal was able to obtain through an open records request.
Additionally, he will get a $500 monthly automobile allowance. The offer letter, which included a family membership to the University of Louisville Golf Club, was signed by Nolan on April 6.
Up to $15,000 in relocating expenses and 30 days of interim lodging are covered for the player.
In addition to this, the guy earned a substantial sum of money while playing in the NBA. He is thought to be worth $2–3 million.
Social Media
Instagram has 96.2k followers.
Twitter has 90,6k users.