NBA.com: Rik Smits Bio

When 7-4 Rik Smits entered the NBA in 1988, he was considered a raw talent with tremendous potential. Six years later the "Dunking Dutchman" and his deadly midrange jumper helped the Indiana Pacers pull within one game of the NBA Finals, and in 1997-98 he was selected for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Smits has developed into one of the most effective centers in the game, particularly at the offensive end. He has the ability to dominate games offensively, but his tendency to pick up fouls often has limited his effectiveness. A native of the Netherlands, Smits came to the United States in 1984 to attend Marist College in upstate New York. The gangly giant toiled in relative obscurity for most of his college career, but after averaging 24.7 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior he became a coveted NBA prospect. Enticed by his combination of size and skill, the Pacers chose him with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft, behind Danny Manning. Smits had a creditable first season, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in 1988-89 after averaging 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds. The next four seasons saw the Pacers hover around the .500 mark during the regular season and then bow out of the playoffs in the first round each year. Smits upped his offensive numbers to 15.5 points per game in 1989-90 while finishing ninth in the league in blocked shots (2.06 per game). His playing time and production slipped in 1990-91. Sharing time at center with LaSalle Thompson, Smits played 700 fewer minutes than the previous year and averaged a career-low 10.9 points. He gradually returned to form over the next two seasons. His performance in the 1993 NBA Playoffs was a harbinger of things to come. Although the Pacers lost to the New York Knicks in the first round, Smits was magnificent, averaging 22.5 points in four games against Patrick Ewing. The 1993-94 campaign proved to be a breakthrough year for both Smits and the Pacers. Smits averaged 17.7 points during the season's final 40 games, then helped the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals, in which they lost to New York in seven games. In 1994-95 he helped Indiana to a 50-32 record and a division title on the strength of his 17.9 points and career-high 7.7 rebounds per game. The club went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals again, this time falling in seven games to the Orlando Magic. Smits strengthened his position among the top pivotmen in the NBA in 1995-96, averaging a career-high 18.5 points to go along with 6.9 rebounds per game. But he missed the first 30 games of the 1996-97 season while rehabilitating from foot surgery, and in his absence the Pacers stumbled out of the gate and never totally recovered, failing to make the NBA Playoffs for the first time in eight years. Smits came back to play in 73 games in 1997-98, helping the Pacers bounce back to 58 wins and the Eastern Conference Finals. He was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the first time in his career. He was Indiana's second-leading score in 1998-99 at 14.9 ppg, his lowest mark in six years. Although he played and started 49 games, he played much of the season on sore feet that hampered his ability to run and jump.

1999-2000 REGULAR SEASON
Netted 25 points in a 105-101 win over New Jersey on 4/5 Recorded 29 points and 9 rebounds in a 118-111 win in Detroit on 2/23 Totaled 22 points in a 94-84 win over Miami on 1/29 Notched 20 points (9-14 FG) in only 18 minutes, during a 101-100 loss in Minnesota on 1/17 Scored 19 points in a 117-102 win over Washington on 1/12 Registered 22 points and 9 rebounds in a 116-111 win over New Jersey on 1/4 Posted 25 points (9-10 FG) and 7 rebounds in a 136-88 win over Cleveland on 12/10 Totaled 18 points and 9 boards in an 83-77 win over San Antonio on 12/7 Tallied 23 points (10-14 FG) and 5 rebounds in a 107-99 loss to Detroit on 11/25 Scored 21 points and grabbed 6 boards in a 105-99 loss to Atlanta on 11/19

1998-1999 REGULAR SEASON
Ranked 2nd on the Pacers in scoring (14.9 ppg), field-goal percentage (.490, 12th in the NBA) and blocked shots (1.06 bpg) Scored 13 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers on 4/16 Blocked his 1,000th career shot, totaling a team-high 22 points and 4 rebounds, against the Charlotte Hornets on 4/10 Recorded a season and game-high 35 points (10-16 FG, 15-16 FT), 4 rebounds and 3 assists against the Detroit Pistons on 4/9 Registered a game-high 22 points (10-16 FG, 2-2 FT) and 7 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks on 3/29 Scored 14 of his game-high 28 points in the 4th quarter, and grabbed 7 rebounds, in a 99-96 win over the Boston Celtics on 3/14 Posted 20 points (10-13 FG), including the go-ahead basket with 2:53 to play, and 8 rebounds in an 81-74 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on 2/25 Totaled a team-high 22 points (11-18 FG), 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in a 104-84 victory over the Toronto Raptors on 2/24 Recorded a team-high 24 points (12-20 FG) and 6 rebounds in a 101-97 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 2/11 Registered a team-high 23 points (11-17 FG) and 7 rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers on 2/10

1997-1998 REGULAR SEASON
Recorded 24 points (12-16 FG) and 13 rebounds in a 133-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on 3/27 Registered 22 points and a team-high 11 rebounds in a 91-86 victory over the New York Knicks on 3/15 Posted team-highs of 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in a 96-76 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on 3/13 Grabbed his 4,495th career rebound to become the Pacers' all-time NBA leader, totaling a team-high 26 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, in a 111-103 win over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 3/3 Scored a team-high 27 points and grabbed 9 rebounds against the Orlando Magic on 2/20 Recorded 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, in his All-Star debut, in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game in New York Registered 15 points, a team-high 15 rebounds and 3 assists in a 95-88 victory over the Boston Celtics on 1/24 Named NBA Player of the Week for the week ending 1/4, averaging 22.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.33 bpg and 2.33 spg to lead the Pacers to a 3-0 week Posted game-highs of 24 points (11-19 FG) and 13 rebounds in an 89-77 victory over the Toronto Raptors on 1/3 Totaled game-highs of 22 points and 4 blocked shots and grabbed 7 rebounds in a 99-81 win over the Washington Wizards on 1/2 Scored 20 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds in a 109-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets on 12/30 Recorded team-highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds in a 109-92 victory over the Washington Wizards on 12/13 Registered a game-high 29 points (14-23 FG) and 6 rebounds in a 104-89 win over the Miami Heat on 12/12 Posted a game-high 25 points (10-16 FG), 5 blocked shots, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in a 101-89 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on 11/30 Scored his 10,000th career point, totaling 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 blocked shots, against the Charlotte Hornets on 11/8 Recorded 23 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots in a 96-83 win over the Golden State Warriors on 11/1

1996-1997 REGULAR SEASON
Smits sat out the first 30 games of the season while rehabilitating from double-foot surgery which was performed in September. The Pacers were 14-16 in his absence and never really got untracked. Smits started the remaining 52 games, got better as the season progressed and finished as Indiana's No. 2 scorer at 17.1 ppg and No. 3 rebounder at 6.9 rpg. He also led the team in blocked shots at 1.13 bpg. He scored in double figures in 31 consecutive games beginning Feb. 20, and had 20+ points in 16 of those contests and 20 overall. He averaged 22.9 ppg in 13 games from March 7 to April 1, including a season-high 40 points in a 103-96 overtime triumph against the Clippers on March 30. Smits led the Pacers in scoring 16 times and rebounding 14 times. He grabbed 10+ rebounds 12 times, all double-doubles, and had tied his career high with 16 rebounds in a 92-68 rout of Denver on Feb. 20. He also led the Pacers with 23 points in that game.

1995-1996 REGULAR SEASON
Smits solidified his status among the NBA's better centers by averaging a career-high 18.5 points per game and also contributing 6.9 rebounds per game, his second-highest mark ever. Smits ranked second on the Pacers in both categories as well as in blocked shots, where he averaged 0.71 per game. Smits scored the most points by a Pacer in any game this season when he tallied a career-high 44 points against the Clippers on Dec. 10. In that game he tied a 15-year-old team record set by Billy Knight with 20 field goals made. That was only his fifth appearance of the season, as he missed the first 12 games due to surgery on his left ankle. He sat out a total of 19 games due to injury or illness, and his 63 games played were a career low. Smits scored in double figures in 59 of his 63 games, reached 20 in 27 games and 30 three times. He posted 13 double-doubles, with a season-high 13 rebounds against Boston on Feb. 26. He led the Pacers in scoring 29 times and rebounding 16 times. With Reggie Miller injured for the first four games of the playoffs, Smits was the Pacers' leading postseason scorer with 95 points for a 19.0 average. He was the only Indiana player to score in double figures in every game of the series against Atlanta, posting games of 19, 29, 13, 17 and 17 points. He also ranked second on the team with 7.4 rebounds per game.

1994-1995 REGULAR SEASON
With his finest season ever, Smits showed that he deserved to be ranked among the top centers in the league. The "Dunking Dutchman" led the Indiana Pacers in scoring 32 times and in rebounding on 30 occasions and posted 24 double-doubles. He finished second on the Pacers in scoring (17.9 ppg), rebounding (7.7 rpg), and field-goal percentage (.526). Smits put together some fantastic stretches in 1994-95. He led the team in scoring and rebounding in four consecutive games beginning on January 26. From February 26 to March 3 he led the team in scoring in four straight games, averaging 26.0 points. On March 7 he recorded a season-high 35 points against the San Antonio Spurs and David Robinson while adding a game-high 10 rebounds. He was especially tough down the stretch, averaging a shade under 20 points in the final 12 games of the regular season. With Smits anchoring the middle, the Pacers claimed the Central Division crown with a 50-32 record. In the playoffs the team reached the conference finals and fell in the seventh game for the second year in a row. In the conference semifinals against the New York Knicks and Patrick Ewing, Smits displayed a masterful touch, scoring 34 points in Game 1 and averaging 22.6 for the series. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic, he hit a 14-foot shot as time expired to give the Pacers a 94-93 win. For the postseason, he averaged 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds.

1993-1994 REGULAR SEASON
Smits continued to develop into one of the league's most difficult matchups at the center position. With a deadly outside shooting touch, the 7-foot-4 giant set a career high with 15.7 points per game in 1993-94, ranking second on the Pacers to Reggie Miller. He also averaged 6.2 rebounds and shot a team-leading .534 from the floor. Smits scored in double figures in 62 of his 78 appearances and grabbed at least 10 rebounds on 11 occasions. He led the team in scoring 20 times and in rebounding 15 times. After Indiana moved past the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks in the early rounds of the playoffs, the Pacers met the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Smits gave Patrick Ewing fits in the seven-game series, pouring in 16.3 points per game while shooting .516 from the floor. Despite his efforts, Indiana lost in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

1992-1993 REGULAR SEASON
Smits bounced back from two difficult seasons to have a fine campaign in 1992-93. He started in all 81 of his appearances and began to assert himself as an integral part of Indiana's success. The five-year veteran averaged 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in the regular season, but it was in the postseason that he really began to shine. In a four-game first-round series against the New York Knicks, Smits outplayed Patrick Ewing, averaging 22.5 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting .578 from the field. He tallied a playoff career-high 29 points in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks went on to win the series, but Smits had gained respect and confidence heading into 1993-94. During the regular season, Smits established a new scoring high with 37 points in a game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 26. He also tied a career high with 16 rebounds versus the Miami Heat on November 24.

1991-1992 REGULAR SEASON
Smits struggled with injuries throughout the season, missing eight games at various junctures with tendinitis in his left knee. He would spend the final two games of the year on the injured list and undergo arthroscopic surgery on the knee in the offseason. The fourth-year center regained his starting job in training camp and held onto it for the first 43 games of the season. He then gave way to Greg Dreiling for 23 games before starting in his last 12 appearances. Smits improved his output in nearly every category, shooting .510 from the floor and averaging 13.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. Smits's knee problems hampered him in the postseason, limiting him to only 28 total minutes in a three-game series with the Boston Celtics.

1990-1991 REGULAR SEASON
Smits had two fine seasons out of the NBA gate, but he stalled in 1990-91 while losing his starting job to Greg Dreiling. Bob Hill replaced Dick Versace as Indiana's head coach in late December, and Hill preferred to use Dreiling in the starting role. After starting in his first 38 appearances, Smits came off the bench in the last 38 games of the season. The third-year center shot .485 from the field, a career low, and finished with averages of 10.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in only 22.2 minutes per game. After playing all 82 games in each of his first two seasons, Smits missed six contests in 1990-91, including five straight in January and February after having bone chips removed from his right elbow. Smits led the Pacers in blocked shots for a third straight season, recording 111 for the year. He swatted 8 shots in a November 30 game against the Chicago Bulls, falling 1 shy of the franchise record. His season scoring high was 31 points against the Denver Nuggets on March 7. The Pacers advanced to the NBA Playoffs for the second straight year but lost in the first round to the Boston Celtics. Smits came off the bench in all five postseason games and averaged 9.8 points.

1989-1990 REGULAR SEASON
Smits played all 82 games for the second straight season and posted averages of 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. He led the Pacers in field-goal percentage (.533) and ranked ninth in the NBA in blocked shots (2.06 per game). The second-year center scored in double figures 68 times, including a season-high 34 points against the Nuggets in Denver on February 16. He also grabbed 15 rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 25 and blocked 7 shots on two occasions. Smits's first playoff experience was short-lived because the Detroit Pistons swept the Pacers in a first-round series. He shot .500 from the floor in three games, averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.

1988-1989 REGULAR SEASON
Rik Smits was born and raised in the Netherlands, but he came to the United States in 1984 to enroll at Marist College and play basketball. He didn't have many skills back then, but he stood 7-foot-4, and that was enough to earn him a scholarship. During four years at Marist, Smits developed into a serious NBA prospect. He cultivated a surprisingly smooth jump shot, which went in nearly 61 percent of the time during his college career. He averaged 24.7 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior, earning recognition as the East Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season. Players who stand 7-foot-4 and can also make a jump shot just don't come around very often, so the Indiana Pacers selected Smits with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. The tallest player in Pacers history, Smits turned in an impressive rookie season. He averaged 11.7 points on .517 shooting from the field while ranking 10th in the NBA in blocked shots, with 1.84 per game. At season's end, Smits joined Mitch Richmond, Willie Anderson, Hersey Hawkins, and Charles Smith on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.