Jerry Smith is an American-born professional basketball player who had one of the shortest careers in the NBA. He played only five matches in the world’s greatest basketball league for the New Jersey Nets in the 2011-12 season.
However, it has already been over a decade since he began his playing career, and he is still active. Smith currently plays for the Final Spor in the Turkish Basketball First League.
The Wisconsin native had always wanted to make big in basketball from an early age, but he failed. It was all good until he finished high school, but his college stats were miserable.
Consequently, he remained unpicked in the 2010 NBA draft.
Smith spent four years at the University of Louisville playing college basketball for the Cardinals. His game, except for the sophomore season, was not so impressive.
After failing to remain intact in the NBA, Jerry traveled to New Zealand to play in the National Basketball League (NBL). He later played for different clubs worldwide, including in countries such as Italy, Israel, Germany, etc.
Although he has not been able to achieve much from his basketball career, Smith has earned so many international fans because of his games abroad.
Now, let’s discover more about Smith’s life and career in this article. But before hopping into details, here are some quick facts about him.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Jerry Smith |
| Date of Birth | September 26, 1987 |
| Birth Place | Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, the USA |
| Nick Name | Not available |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Age | 34 years old |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 feet 2 inches) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Jerry Smith Sr. |
| Mother’s Name | Kim Smith |
| Siblings | LaRita Smith |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Education |
|
| Marital Status | Unknown |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Girlfriend’s Name | Not available |
| Kids | None |
| Salary | Not available |
| Profession | Basketball player |
| NBA Draft | 2010 / Undrafted |
| Position | Point guard / Shooting guard |
| League |
|
| Active Years | (2010 – Present) |
| Net Worth | $1.5 million |
| Currently Plays for | Final Spor |
| Career Highlights & Awards | Fourth-team Parade All-American (2006) |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Short-Sleeve T-shirt |
| Last Update | July 2022 |
Jerry Smith | Early Life, Family & Education
Jerry Smith was born on Sep 26, 1987, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, United States. He is the younger child of his parents, Jerry Smith Sr., and Kimberly “Kim” Smith. Besides him, his parents had given birth to his sister, LaRita.
Smith grew up in Wauwatosa and spent his entire childhood in that city. He initially attended elementary school nearby his home for his primary education. After finishing middle school, he enrolled in the Wauwatosa East High School.
His sister, LaRita, loved her brother very much and often helped him with his studies. As a result, both siblings were bright students. Smith was particularly good at mathematics, and for that reason, it was his favorite subject.
Besides education, Jerry had a unique attraction toward sports. Smith used to play all kinds of games, including football, baseball, and basketball. While Smith was growing up, Michael Jordan ruled the NBA, so it did not take him long to get more drawn to basketball.
Both his parents were NBA fans, and he tagged along to watch matches regularly during the league season.
Moreover, his father was a skilled basketball player and often played with his son in his spare time.
He says his parents significantly influenced him to be a professional basketball player. Although he could have done great academically, they never forced him to inflict their decisions on him, so he chose his own path.
After graduating from Wauwatosa East, Jerry joined the University of Louisville for higher education in 2006. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from that university in 2010.
Jerry Smith | Basketball Career
High School Career
Jerry Smith played high school basketball for the Wauwatosa East School in Wisconsin. He had always been fascinated by Michael Jordan’s game, so he wanted to be a great guard like his role model.
Although he was shorter in height than his teammates, Jerry loved the game, and it showed when he stepped onto the court to play for his team. The school’s head coach, Geroge Haas, was never disappointed with his game.
Smith had a dream to lead his team to a state championship win at least once, but that never happened. However, he had many individual achievements. He became the state player of the year for his performance in his junior season.
Similarly, he was a three-time all-state selection, making him the first player in state history to achieve that rare feat.
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College Career
Smith received several scholarship offers from many institutions at the end of his high school. He had shortlisted some universities, including Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Wake Forest, but he eventually chose Louisville.
His performance in his first year was not impressive, although he had the best three-point field goal percentage in the Big East Conference. Smith finished the season with an average of 8.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Jerry improved and averaged 10.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in the second season.
He played two more seasons until his graduation in 2010 but showed no progress. Similarly, he played the AAU tournaments simultaneously for the DTA Milwaukee and the Playground Warriors.
Professional Career
Jerry went for the NBA draft in 2010 after having a disappointing college career with the Louisville Cardinals. As expected, no clubs showed interest in acquiring him, and hence, he remained undrafted.
However, the Milwaukee Bucks included him in their NBA Summer League team, and consequently, Smith played some games in Las Vegas.
He was with the Springfield Armor in the 2011-12 season, but he briefly played abroad in New Zealand for the NBL club, Waikato Pistons. Similarly, in 2012, the New Jersey Nets invited him to play in the NBA.
Smith played five matches for the Nets and averaged 1.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He eventually returned to the Armor to play D-League.
After the NBA G League season ended, he traveled to Italy in 2012 to play in the Italian second division league, Serie A2. Similarly, he played a year for the Maccabi Rishon LeZion in the Israeli Basketball Premier League (IBPL).
Smith has played professional basketball for many other teams, including Eisbaren Bremerhaven of the German Basketball Bundesliga and Ifaistos Limnou of the Greek Basketball League.
He has been playing for the Turkish club, Final Spor, in the Turkish Basketball First League since 2022.
Jerry Smith has been regularly participating in The Basketball Tournament since 2017. Since his debut, he has been continuously starring for the Team Challenge ALS in the tournament.
Jerry Smith | Net Worth & Career Earnings
According to sources, one of the famous American overseas league players, Jerry Smith, has a net worth of about $1.5 million. But, some websites have mentioned it to be ranging from $1 to $5 million.
He played for a couple of years in the NBA G League, in which his payment was minimal. He used to receive around $25k to $30k annually. After he felt that he could not survive with such a salary, he went abroad to play in foreign leagues.
However, the amount of salary did not rise much even though he went to Italy to play professional basketball league. They paid him around $45k to $60k annually. So, soon after, he tried for better payments in other countries.
Besides club earnings, he made some money from endorsements and merch sales.
Jerry Smith | Personal Life
Jerry Smith’s marital status is unknown. Since no popular news portals have covered his stories recently, information related to his personal life remains a secret.
To make the matter worse, he has kept his Insta account private although he is a famous sportsman. Besides that, he has not disclosed anything about his personal life on his other social media handles.
We still tried acquiring something related to the topic but could not find any. If we discover anything about it later, we will, of course, let you know.
Getting Arrested in Indianapolis
Jerry is usually the guy who prefers staying out of trouble and does not want to stain his name. He has never faced any severe charges in his long professional basketball career.
But, the police have once caught him in Jeffersonville, Indianapolis, while still in college. According to police officers, Smith was involved in a brawl instigated by another basketball star, Terrence Jennings.
The two college stars were at a party when Jennings and the other guy attending that event got into a fight. Joining his teammate, Jerry smacked that guy when people repeatedly asked him to stop it.
The Jacksonville police later arrested both of them on charges of resisting arrest and interfering with law enforcement.
Age & Body Features
As of 2022, Jerry Smith is 34 years old.
Although he is pretty short for a basketball player, Smith has already spent more than a decade playing the game and has earned enough fame as an able guard abroad. He stands about 1.88 meters (6 feet 2 inches) tall, about his physical stats.
Similarly, he weighs around 195 lb (88 kg). About his facial features, he has black colored hair and black eyes. In addition, he has tattoos on his arms.
Some Interesting Facts About Jerry Smith
- Jerry Smith had once said that Will Smith could play his role if any movie based on his biopic is made.
- The celebrity he likes to meet the most is Nikki Minaj.
- His eldest daughter was already born when he was in college.
- His favorite NBA team is Cleveland Cavaliers.
- He mostly likes listening to the songs of Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Drake.
Social Media
Frequently Asked Questions
What jersey number does Jerry Smith wear?
Jerry Smith wears jersey no. 6 for the Turkish club, Final Spor.
How old was Jerry Smith when he debuted in the NBA?
Jerry Smith was 24 years old when he debuted in the NBA.
