Craig Smith is an American-born former professional basketball player. He has a nine-year-long of experience playing in different professional basketball leagues, including the NBA.
After the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him in the 2006 NBA draft, Smith started his professional league journey. From 2012 to 2015, he played club basketball abroad.
Craig had played college basketball for the Boston College Eagles for four years before stepping into the NBA world.
The Californian giant was considered one of the most promising upcoming NBA prospects of the 2000s. Now, seeing his situation, it might sound awkward, but the stats don’t lie.
Even the popular sports magazine of that time regard him as one of the best college ballers.
Smith is the winner of the 2013 NBL China scoring competition. Similarly, the NBA enlisted him in the All-Rookie Second Team in 2007. Besides that, he has received numerous honors and accolades during his pre-NBA years.
But, it is pretty unfortunate that his career span was very short. Indeed, his fans had wanted much more from him, but he retired too soon.
Now, let’s get into his life and career in detail in the article below. But before that, here are some quick facts about Craig Smith.
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 | 40 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 | March 2024 |
Craig Smith | Early Life, Family & Education
Craig Smith was born on November 10, 1983, in Inglewood, California, United States. He is the son of California natives Craig Smith Sr. and Linda Christian. But, his mother, Linda, raised him as a single parent.
Although Smith was born in Inglewood, he spent almost his childhood years in Los Angeles and did his schooling there. His mother, Linda, was an educated lady and used to work as an administrative assistant at UCLA Medical Center.
He did not have a rough childhood as his mother had good earnings. Of course, he spent most of his time grasping the school lessons, but his mother made him passionate about one more thing since he was a toddler.
Linda introduced him to basketball when Craig was just three years old. Since then, his interest in the sport has kept increasing.
His mother was a huge NBA fan, and basketball legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier, Jerry West, etc., were her favorites.
Although he was clumsy and fat as a kid, Craig showed an aptitude for basketball. He often spent his holidays playing basketball with her mom and neighbors in the nearby park.
He started playing organized basketball tournaments when he was around six years old. Craig was playing with teenagers and the grown-up man with so much promise when he was ten. However, he struggled a lot due to being overweight back in those days.
Smith enrolled in the Boston College in Massachusetts in 2002 after graduating from the Fairfax High School in 2000. As his marks were not satisfactory, he had to take a class for a year at the Worcester Academy in Massachusetts.
In 2006, Smith graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Boston College.
Craig Smith | Basketball Career
High School Career
Before joining college, Craig studied in two different high schools, namely Fairfax High School and Worcester Academy. However, he had joined Worcester as a post-graduate student, so he played his high school basketball for Fairfax School.
While playing the 2001-02 season for them in Massachusetts, he averaged 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
With Fairfax, Smith mainly played as a power forward and center because he was taller than his friends. The head coach of his school, Harvey Kitani, believed that Craig had great enthusiasm for the game but lacked the necessary pace.
But, his stats in his high school years were impressive. He finished his senior season with an average of 23.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
College Career
Craig had received some scholarship offers from some universities, including Oregon State, at the end of his high school. However, they canceled it, citing his physical situation and low academic grades.
He eventually joined the Boston College in Massachusetts in 2002. Smith was impressive from the start of his college career and finished his freshman season with an average of 19.9 points and 7.9 points per game.
His performance remained consistent throughout the next three seasons. In addition, he improved his defensive game during that time and stood out as one of the best rebounders in college.
Craig Smith finished his college averaging 17.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in his senior season. He was the second-highest scorer from Boston College with 2349 points after Troy Bell upon his graduation in 2006.
Professional Career
The Minnesota Timberwolves chose Craig Smith as the 2006 NBA draft’s 36th pick in the second round. Consequently, he signed a contract with them on August 30, 2006.
Initially, the Timberwolves did not give many chances to him but took him out on the court in every match of the season. Smith started the last five games of the season and played full time, averaging 12.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
However, Craig averaged 7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in his rookie season. For his performance that season, he received the NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2007.
After that, he played two more seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves until 2009. He improved his scores, but his overall game was pretty similar to that in his first season.
The club traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers on July 20, 2009. Lastly, he was with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2011-12 season. After that, he went abroad to continue his professional career.
Craig signed with the Hapoel Jerusalem on August 11, 2012, and played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League for one season. In 2013, he briefly played for the Hong Kong Bulls in the NBL China.
Besides that, he appeared on the court on various occasions even after taking a break. He participated in The Basketball Tournament as part of Team CitiTeam Blazers in 2013. Smith has also played in different editions of BIG3 since 2019.
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)
Craig Smith | Net Worth & Career Earnings
The already retired six-year NBA veteran, Craig Smith, has a net worth somewhere between $1 million to $5 million.
He started his playing career in 2006 after signing a multi-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The club paid him around $413k for his rookie season.
He played two more seasons with the Timberwolves, for which the club offered him a little more than $3 million altogether. After that, playing for the LA Clippers until 2011, he made another $4.8 million.
Similarly, for the 2011-12 season, the Portland Trail Blazers offered him nearly $1 million. In conclusion, he has accumulated approximately $10 million from his NBA career.
Besides, Craig has played in some foreign leagues and NBA minor leagues, which pay considerable amounts.
Furthermore, Craig has involved himself in various sectors after his retirement, living a comfortable life now. Apart from coaching at Crossroads School in California, he works as a writer and blogger, which pays him well.
Craig Smith | Personal Life
Craig Smith is a handsome man with an attractive physique and an alluring personality. Because of such qualities, the player has always gained considerable attention from spectators since his early basketball years.
There have been numerous occasions when his female fans have approached him with a marriage proposal. However, the player did not want to stay in a relationship at that time to focus on his career.
However, in 2008, there was a rumor that Craig was in a relationship with Claudia Cirillo. She was his childhood best friend with whom he often hung around.
The two had lost contact for several years until he found her at a party while still with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After that, the media had speculated that they had begun dating, but it all cooled down.
But, now that he has already taken a break from league games, he still has no plans to marry. So, most probably, he is still single after all these years.
Age, Weight & Height
As of 2024, Craig Smith is 40 years old.
Smith was pretty fat during his childhood, which hampered him a lot. He even missed numerous opportunities because of his stocky physique.
He was around 6 feet with 272 lb weight while still in high school.
However, he lost body fat while working out during his college years. Soon after, he had reduced his weight to 260 lb, which made him confident. He says that he had always wanted to play basketball, and to fulfill that, he had to work on maintaining his body.
Smith currently stands at 2.01 meters (6 feet 7 inches) tall and weighs around 265 lb (120 kg). In addition, the player has black hair and black eyes.
Social Media
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the wingspan of Craig Smith?
Craig Smith has a wingspan of around 6 feet 9 inches.
Does Craig Smith play ice hockey?
No, Craig Smith does not play ice hockey. But, he was a great fan of American soccer as a kid and played quite often. However, another athlete named Craig Smith professionally plays ice hockey for the Boston Bruins in the NHL.
