By Brian Abate, Chris DiGeronimo, and Gianluca Milea
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard" - Tim Notke
On this edition of Scrambling we dive into the life of former NBA player and Boston College standout, Craig Smith. Smith is the second leading scorer in Boston College history with 2,349 collegiate points. He has the most rebounds in Boston College history with 1,114. In his senior season, he averaged 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Smith was the 36th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. His career accolades include Big East All-Rookie Team (2003), 2x First-Team All-Big East (2004, 2005), First-Team All-ACC (2006), AP Third-Team All-American (2006), and NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2007). He averaged a career-high 10.1 points per game during the 2008-09 season with the T-Wolves. Smith’s career has taken him across the country and around the globe as he has had stops in his hometown of Los Angeles, Portland, South Dakota, Israel, and Hong Kong. He has also spent time in Ice Cube’s Big3 and The Basketball Tournament. In this interview we cover everything from Smith’s college success all the way to his NBA career and beyond...
Q: You played in the Big East and ACC, two of the toughest conferences in college basketball. How did that prepare you to play professionally?
A: The Big East and ACC helped prepare me in many ways, most notably the competition. Those two leagues gave me much needed practice against pros. We had so much pro talent every night it just made the transition easier. Our coaching at BC was another reason as well, with Coach Skinner and co. The way we practiced was similar to some league practices that helped make it a real easy transition in that matter because I was familiar with most of the NBA’s terminology.
Q: You were traded from the Timberwolves to the Clippers. As NBA fans, we are usually blind to the behind the scenes business of the league. Talk to us about how you found out you were going to be traded and the move across the country. Were you excited for a new beginning or had you planted roots in Minnesota?
A: I was already in LA when I heard the news and since I’m from there it was an easy transition. All I thought about was playing in front of my family and friends which is something I haven’t done since high school. I was really excited.
Q: You dropped 36 points in a losing effort to the Wizards. How frustrating is it to play so efficiently and still come out on the wrong side of a game?
A: It’s tough to have a great game and lose. It’s one of the worst feelings, but it gave me more confidence to keep playing hard and to be efficient.
Q: You were traded for Quentin Richardson and overlapped a few years with Darius Miles. Are you a fan of their podcast ? If so, what has been your favorite episode and why?
A: I am a fan of the Knucklehead Podcast, my favorite episode is Kobe. The reason is because it’s KOBE!
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