Nick Horvath on the 2009 Dragons vs Tigers Championship and Becoming the Author of an Action Hero
April 11, 2025
Donta Smith
- Nationality: VEN/USA
- Date of Birth: 27/11/83
- Place of Birth: Louisville, Kentucky (USA)
- Position: G/F
- Height (CM): 201
- Weight (KG): 100
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Southeastern Illinois (2002–2004)
NBL CAREER OVERVIEW
TEAM HISTORY
1 seasons | 1 team- 2009SD
South Dragons1 season
CHAMPIONSHIPS
South (2009)BIO: Donta Lamont Smith was born on 27 November 1983 in Louisville, Kentucky (USA). He attended Oldham County High School in Buckner, Kentucky, before moving to Southeastern Illinois College, where he developed into a leading junior-college scorer. Smith was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 34th overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft, two years before his later NBL stint in Australia. Source
NBL EXPERIENCE
Donta Smith made his NBL debut with the South Dragons during the 2008 season. He scored nine points in his first game.
Donta Smith played one season in the NBL. He averaged 15 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 18 NBL games.
HIGHLIGHTS:
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 25 | South | 22-8 (1) | 18 | 487 | 270 | 94 | 64 | 20 | 74 | 20 | 18 | 45 | 38 | 93 | 178 | 52% | 14 | 45 | 31% | 70 | 100 | 70% | 61% | 56% | 25 | Totals | 18 | 487 | 270 | 94 | 64 | 20 | 74 | 20 | 18 | 45 | 38 | 93 | 178 | 52.2% | 14 | 45 | 31.1% | 70 | 100 | 70.0% | 61% | 56% | 25 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 25 | South | 22-8 (1) | 18 | 27.1 | 15.0 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 5.2 | 9.9 | 52% | 0.8 | 2.5 | 31% | 3.9 | 5.6 | 70% | 61% | 56% | 25 | Total | 18 | 27.1 | 15.0 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 5.2 | 9.9 | 52.2% | 0.8 | 2.5 | 31.1% | 3.9 | 5.6 | 70.0% | 61% | 56% | 25 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 25 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
FIBA EXPERIENCE
In August 2013, Smith was naturalized as a Venezuelan, in order for him to be able to play with the Venezuelan national basketball team. He played with Venezuela at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship.
NBA EXPERIENCE
Donta Smith was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with pick #34 in the 2004 NBA Draft.
Smith was taken by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2004 NBA draft, after playing JUCO college basketball at Southeastern Illinois College, and he averaged 3.3 points per game for the Hawks during his two-season stint.
On December 2, 2005, the Hawks assigned Smith to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Arkansas RimRockers.
Smith played 61 games in the NBA. He averaged 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- June 24, 2004: Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2nd round (34th pick) of the 2004 NBA Draft.
- October 3, 2004: Signed a multi-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks.
- November 20, 2005: Assigned to the Arkansas RimRockers of the G-League.
- March 6, 2006: Recalled by the Atlanta Hawks from the Arkansas RimRockers of the NBA D-League.
- July 1, 2006: Became a free agent after his contract with the Atlanta Hawks ended.
- July 13, 2006: The Atlanta Hawks renounced their free-agent exception rights to him.
- October 1, 2006: Signed a contract with the Charlotte Bobcats.
- October 20, 2006: Waived by the Charlotte Bobcats.
- October 24, 2006: Became a free agent after being waived by the Charlotte Bobcats.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 83% | 92% | 85% | 93% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 8 | ||||||
| Total | 93 | 178 | 52.2% | 14 | 45 | 31.1% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 22 | Atlanta | SG | 23 | 0 | 127 | 38 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 15 | 27 | 56% | 2 | 4 | 50% | 6 | 12 | 50% | 59% | 59% |
| 2004-05 | 21 | Atlanta | SG | 38 | 0 | 433 | 127 | 52 | 39 | 19 | 33 | 23 | 5 | 25 | 50 | 44 | 113 | 6 | 22 | 33 | 48 | 47% | 42% | Total | 61 | 0 | 560 | 165 | 66 | 48 | 22 | 44 | 31 | 5 | 29 | 70 | 59 | 140 | 42% | 8 | 26 | 31% | 39 | 60 | 65% |
NBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 22 | Atlanta | SG | 23 | 0 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 56% | 0.1 | 0.2 | 50% | 0.3 | 0.5 | 50% | 59% | 59% |
| 2004-05 | 21 | Atlanta | SG | 38 | 0 | 11.4 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 39% | 0.2 | 0.6 | 27% | 0.9 | 1.3 | 69% | 47% | 42% | Total | 61 | 0 | 9.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 42% | 0.1 | 0.4 | 31% | 0.6 | 1.0 | 65% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
-
Bulgaria
- Academic Sofia2007–2008
China
- Shanxi Zhongyu2008, 2009–2010
- Liaoning2010–2011
France
- Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez2018–2019
- Levallois Metropolitans2019–2020
Israel
- Maccabi Haifa2012–2014, 2020–2021
- Hapoel Jerusalem2014–2016
Italy
- Brindisi2017–2018
México
- Fuerza Regia2011
Puerto Rico
- Gigantes de Carolina2009
- Vaqueros de Bayamón2010
- Indios de Mayagüez2012
- Piratas de Quebradillas2016–2017
- Santeros de Aguada2017–2018
- Cangrejeros de Santurce2020–2021
Venezuela
- Marinos2010, 2011
- Espartanos de Margarita2010
- Bucaneros de La Guaira2017
- Trotamundos2021–2026
Smith began his overseas career with Academic Sofia in Bulgaria after signing in January 2007, and he appeared in the ULEB Cup (EuroCup) in both 2006–07 and 2007–08, including a five-game 2007–08 run where he averaged 11.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while playing alongside teammates such as Pero Antić, Willie Deane, and Larry O’Bannon.
He moved to China for CBA stints with Shanxi Zhongyu in 2008 and again in 2009–10, with his international timeline also including a 2009 stop in Puerto Rico with Gigantes de Carolina.
In 2010, Smith’s international schedule included Venezuela and Puerto Rico stops, with his résumé listing Marinos and Espartanos de Margarita in Venezuela and Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico, before he joined Liaoning for the 2010–11 season and played 19 games at 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while sharing the import load with players such as Chris Richard and Anthony Myles.
In 2011–12, he split time between Puerto Rico and Mexico with Indios de Mayagüez and Fuerza Regia, producing 14.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game across 44 games in Puerto Rico and 15.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game across 38 games in Mexico, and his honours from this stretch included a 2012 Puerto Rico championship on his record.
He became a long-term fixture in Israel with Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Jerusalem, starting with Maccabi Haifa in 2012–13, when he averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals in 26 regular-season games. In nine playoff appearances, Smith averaged 19.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.4 steals as Haifa won the championship alongside Gal Mekel. During 2013–14 he averaged 16.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 28 Israeli regular-season games, followed by 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists across 11 playoff games. He earned Israeli league MVP recognition during his Haifa run and added 2013–14 EuroCup production of 14.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game over 16 games.
After signing with Hapoel Jerusalem in June 2014, Smith averaged 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in 32 Israeli league games in 2014–15, and he helped Jerusalem win the 2015 Israeli championship by posting 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in the title-clinching game while playing alongside teammates including Lior Eliyahu and Finals MVP Bracey Wright. In the 2014–15 Israeli playoffs, Smith averaged 13.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals across eight games.
He remained with Hapoel Jerusalem for 2015–16 and averaged 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 32 Israeli regular-season games, followed by 18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.6 steals in seven playoff games while also averaging 12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game across 16 EuroCup games.
In early 2017, Smith returned to Puerto Rico with Piratas de Quebradillas and averaged 12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game across 32 BSN games, and he also logged a brief Liga de las Américas stint with Venezuela’s Bucaneros in three games at 12.0 points per game.
His 2017–18 run included Puerto Rico and Italy: he averaged 12.7 points, 5.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds across 26 games with Santeros de Aguada, then joined Brindisi in Italys Lega Basket Serie A. Across 22 Italian domestic regular-season games he averaged 12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game. He totalled 265 points, 120 rebounds, 81 assists, 31 steals and nine blocks, shooting 102-of-196 (52.0 percent) from the field, including 20-of-58 threes (34.5 percent), and 41-of-57 free throws (71.9 percent). These 22 appearances are Italian Serie A regular-season games, separate from the Puerto Rican BSN season.
Smith moved to France to join Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez in 2018–19. The official French federation records 24 LNB Pro A regular-season games averaging 12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.3 minutes, shooting 47.9 percent from the field. He then played three separate French championship playoff games at 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists, plus one separate Leaders Cup game (four points, three rebounds, three assists). The 28-game 12.0-point average previously in this biography combined 24 league matches, three playoffs and one Leaders Cup appearance, so it should not be described as his French regular-season figure.
In 2019–20, Smith joined Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92, making 25 French LNB Pro A regular-season appearances at 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 27.4 minutes. He made 48.2 percent of his three-point attempts and 50.0 percent of his field-goal attempts. He also played two separate Leaders Cup games averaging 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Both seasons regular season, French playoffs and Leaders Cup appearances are listed distinctly.
In 2020–21, he returned to Maccabi Haifa and averaged 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game across 13 Israeli league games while also playing in Puerto Rico for Cangrejeros de Santurce (14 games at 9.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game), and he later added extended Venezuelan Superliga seasons with Trotamundos beginning in 2021–22.
COLLEGE
Smith played two seasons of junior college basketball at Southeastern Illinois College from 2002 to 2004, building his reputation quickly enough that he was later described as one of the top JUCO prospects in the country during his time there.
During the 2003–04 season at Southeastern Illinois College, NJCAA Division I leader listings credit Smith with 783 total points across 30 games, a 26.1 points-per-game average that placed him among the national scoring leaders at that level, while other contemporary reports from the same season described him as averaging around 25 points per game.
By the end of that 2003–04 JUCO campaign, Smith’s production had him in the national conversation for junior-college accolades, with Louisville-focused recruiting coverage later describing him as the junior college Player of the Year in 2004 while also stating he averaged 26 points and 8 rebounds that season at Southeastern Illinois College.
After two years of playing junior college basketball at Southeastern Illinois College, Smith was rated as one of the top JUCO prospects, and he committed to play NCAA Division I college basketball for Rick Pitino at the University of Louisville, with the Louisville Cardinals.
However, Smith backed out of the commitment, and entered the 2004 NBA Draft instead, with national reporting on May 7, 2004 noting that Louisville and Pitino were caught off guard by the decision, that Smith had planned on attending Louisville until early that week, and that he submitted his paperwork to make himself eligible for the draft while still having the option to withdraw because he had not hired an agent at that time.
AWARDS
- 1x time NBL Finals MVP (2009)
- Israeli Super League MVP (2014)
- 2× Israeli Super League Quintet (2014, 2016)
- 2× Israeli Super League champion (2013, 2015)
- BSN champion (2012)
- BSN Most Valuable Player (2012)
- BSN First Team (2012) BSN Defensive First Team (2012) BSN All-Star (2012) LPB champion (2011) LPB Grand Final MVP (2011) NBL champion (2009) NBL Grand Final MVP (2009) First-team NJCAA All-American (2004)
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