Phil Smyth
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Phil Smyth

  • Nationality: AUS
  • Date of Birth: 11/05/58
  • Place of Birth: Adelaide (SA)
  • Position: GRD
  • Height (CM): 183
  • Weight (KG): 76
  • Junior Assoc: SA - Sturt
  • College: None
  • NBL DEBUT: 6/02/82
  • AGE AT DEBUT: 23
  • LAST NBL GAME: 10/07/95
  • AGE AT LAST GAME: 37
  • NBL History: St Kilda 1982 | Canberra 1983-92 | Adelaide 1993-94 | Sydney 1995
  • Championships: 3
  • Canberra (1983-84, 1988)

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NICKNAME/S: The General

BIO: Philip John Smyth AM was born in Adelaide (SA) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Sturt basketball program. He is a Australian former professional basketball player and coach.

He won three NBL championships with the Canberra Cannons before going on to be a three-time championship-winning head coach of the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers.

Smyth was a four-time Olympian with the Australian national basketball team.

FAMILY: Phil’s brother, David Smyth also played 18 games in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Phil Smyth made his NBL debut with the St Kilda Pumas at 23 years of age. He scored 20 points in his first game.

Smyth, a Adelaide junior, was already seen as one of Australia’s best point guards when the National Basketball League first started in 1979, yet it took him until 1982 to actually play in the league, despite having represented Australia at the 1978 FIBA World Championship in the Philippines and at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

In 1982, St Kilda lost the services of a huge chunk of their 1980 championship winning roster, with Larry Sengstock and Danny Morseu (both to Brisbane) and losing star import Rocky Smith. Smith signed a lucrative deal to play in Brazil after international clubs saw his talent when the Saints competed at the previous year’s FIBA World Cup held in Brazil. The Puma’s replaced the outgoing talent with import Bill Runchey (via State League), former Olympian Tony Barnett who returned to the club after a season out of the league and South Australian Phil Smyth who was convinced to drive 8 hours from Adelaide every weekend to play for club.

Smyth (18.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists) led the team in scoring, returning import Mike Slusher (17.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) stepped up his game considerably (11.9 points the year prior) and Steve Breheny (16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) rounded out the team’s top scorers. St Kilda would finish the regular season in sixth place (17-9), missing out on making the playoffs by one win.

CANBERRA CANNONNS
1983
In 1983, Smyth averaged 14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, playing a key role in the Cannons rotation, helping the team finish reach a fourth place finish in the regular season with a 16-6 record.

1984
The 1984 season saw Smyth average 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.1 assists and play a key role in helping the Cannons to a fifth place finish in the regular season with a 16-7 record.

1985
During the 1985 season Smyth averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists and helped the Cannons finish with a record of 19-7 and end the regular season in fourth place.

1986
During the 1986 season, Smyth averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists and was a part of the Cannons squad which finished in second place with a record of 19-7.

1987
In 1987, Smyth averaged 18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists as the Cannons finished with a record of 17-9 and in fifth place during the regular season.

1988
In 1988, Smyth averaged 22.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, playing a key role in the Cannons rotation, helping the team finish reach a fourth place finish in the regular season with a 16-8 record.

1989
The 1989 season saw Smyth average 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists and play a key role in helping the Cannons to a second place finish in the regular season with a 17-7 record.

1990
During the 1990 season Smyth averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists and helped the Cannons finish with a record of 16-10 and end the regular season in seventh place.

1991
During the 1991 season, Smyth averaged 15.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists and was a part of the Cannons squad, which finished in ninthplace with a record of 9-17.

1992
In 1992 Smyth averaged 12.9 points and 4.1 rebounds, and 7 assists, and helped guide the Cannons to a sixth-place finish during the regular season with a 11-13 record.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
1993
After two losing seasons under coach Don Shipway, Adelaide hired American Don Monson to replace him and steer the team back to its winning ways of the past decade. With the 36ers still regrouping from the huge loss of Boomers big man Mark Bradtke (who had left for Melbourne), they added young talent in Chris Blakemore (AIS) and Scott Ninnis (South East Melbourne) and veterans Phil Smyth (captain of the Australian Boomers at the time) and Willie Simmons from the Canberra Cannons.

Smyth averaged 10.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while the team improved to a 14–12 record under Monson and made the playoffs by finishing in seventh place.

At the end of the season, Blakemore (5.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) claimed Rookie of the Year honours and while Ninnis (19.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals) delivered his highest scoring season to date and collected the Most Improved Player award. The 36ers were then eliminated in the Quarterfinals by Ninnis’s former team, the defending NBL champions, South East Melbourne Magic.

1994
Phil Smyth (6.6 points and 1.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) delivered the worst season of his career, registering all-time lows in both points and rebounds in 1994 but helped guide the 36ers to a second place finish in the regular season.

SYDNEY KINGS
1995
After a great start to the 1994 season, the Kings collapsed during the second half of the year with the team’s young roster felt to be the cause. Veteran talent Phil Smyth (Adelaide), Justin Withers (Canberra) and import Bruce Bolden (SE Melbourne), who would replace fan favourite Mario Donaldson, would bring the experience required in spades.

The Kings starting lineup had increased from the average age of 28 to 31, which meant although they had added a ton of experience, this roster would only have one or two years to make it count.

The season started with a narrow 85-86 loss to Bolden’s former team, the Magic, before a up-and-down season, where the Kings defeated a number of league’s top team’s but failed to close out games against those at the bottom of the ladder. Sydney would start the season with a 3-6 record, which included wins over Perth and North Melbourne, who would finish first and third, respectively, but suffered back-to-back losses to Canberra (who would finish tenth) and lost games to Townsville (finished 12th) and Gold Coast (finished 13th).

Leon Trimmingham (27.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.2 blocks) was named Kings team MVP after leading the team in scoring, rebounds, steals and blocks as Bolden (20.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals) and captain Damian Keogh (14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals) provided the additional scoring power. Sydney finished the season in tenth place with a record of 10-16 and failed to reach the playoffs.

Smyth averaged 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for the season and would retire at the end off the year.

Phil Smyth played fourteen seasons across four NBL teams. This included the St Kilda Pumas, Canberra Cannons, Adelaide 36ers and Sydney Kings. He averaged 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 356 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 15th in total assists
– 7th in total steals
– 24th in steals per game.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dan Boyce (817 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.


NBL TOTAL STATISTICS

SEASONAGETEAMTEAM RECORDGPMINSPTSREBASTORDRSTLBLKTOPFFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%EFG%HS
199537Sydney10-16 (11)16591.010953558452341822359636%165430%232785%50%45%13
199436Adelaide18-8 (2)33720.02196292224040345506815444%4710943%364482%63%59%17
199335Adelaide14-12 (7)281,056.030273135165746459619823841%5112840%557079%56%52%24
199234Canberra11-13 (8)261,032.03361061832383654507011822054%6311853%374582%70%68%27
199133Canberra9-17 (9)24982.0369871121770505516811730039%6016137%758885%54%49%29
199032Canberra16-10 (7)22808.02138296136953239597119137%4010937%313686%51%48%28
198931Canberra17-7 (2)281,241.048815813738120923637016539342%8721341%718386%56%53%35
198830Canberra16-8 (4)301,270.066915816548110857607523449248%8819346%11313981%60%57%34
198729Canberra17-9 (5)22941.040411612121957511335413830545%6714247%617285%60%56%36
198628Canberra19-7 (2)250.0304132135251077610556510124841%319134%718089%53%47%27
198527Canberra19-7 (4)280.037215714832125946577513730046%4211337%567377%56%53%25
198426Canberra16-7 (5)220.0317841343351444515811726045%357646%485587%55%52%33
198325Canberra16-6 (4)270.03938313722617111536215130350%000%9110488%56%50%24
198224St Kilda17-9 (6)250.0465131672910200577019439549%000%779185%53%49%33
Totals35686414960148217173471135814746918591744389544.8%627150741.6%845100783.9%57%53%36

NBL PER GAME STATISTICS

SEASONAGETEAMTEAM RECORDGPMINSPTSREBASTORDRSTLBLKTOPFFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%EFG%HS
199537Sydney10-16 (11)1636.96.83.33.40.52.81.40.31.11.42.26.036%1.03.430%1.41.785%50%45%13
199436Adelaide18-8 (2)3321.86.61.92.80.71.21.20.11.41.52.14.744%1.43.343%1.11.382%63%59%17
199335Adelaide14-12 (7)2837.710.82.64.80.62.01.60.12.12.23.58.541%1.84.640%2.02.579%56%52%24
199234Canberra11-13 (8)2639.712.94.17.00.93.22.50.21.92.74.58.554%2.44.553%1.41.782%70%68%27
199133Canberra9-17 (9)2440.915.43.64.70.72.92.10.22.12.84.912.539%2.56.737%3.13.785%54%49%29
199032Canberra16-10 (7)2236.79.73.74.40.63.12.40.11.82.73.28.737%1.85.037%1.41.686%51%48%28
198931Canberra17-7 (2)2844.317.45.64.91.44.33.30.12.32.55.914.042%3.17.641%2.53.086%56%53%35
198830Canberra16-8 (4)3042.322.35.35.51.63.72.80.22.02.57.816.448%2.96.446%3.84.681%60%57%34
198729Canberra17-9 (5)2242.818.45.35.51.04.33.40.51.52.56.313.945%3.06.547%2.83.385%60%56%36
198628Canberra19-7 (2)250.012.25.35.41.04.33.00.42.22.64.09.941%1.23.634%2.83.289%53%47%27
198527Canberra19-7 (4)280.013.35.65.31.14.53.40.22.02.74.910.746%1.54.037%2.02.677%56%53%25
198426Canberra16-7 (5)220.014.43.86.11.52.32.00.22.32.65.311.845%1.63.546%2.22.587%55%52%33
198325Canberra16-6 (4)270.014.63.15.10.82.32.60.42.02.35.611.250%0.00.00%3.43.988%56%50%24
198224St Kilda17-9 (6)250.018.65.22.71.24.10.00.02.32.87.815.849%0.00.00%3.13.685%53.1%49%33
Total35624.313.94.24.81.03.22.30.21.92.44.910.944.8%0.00.041.6%1.84.283.9%57%53%36

CAREER HIGHS

POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS STEALS BLOCKS TURNOVERS TRIPLE DOUBLES
361317112120

STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE

  • Sturt 1978-82


FIBA EXPERIENCE

Smyth played for the Australian Boomers at the 1978 FIBA World Championship in the Philippines, helping the team to a then best 7th place. He remained a member of the Boomers program for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow where the team finished in 8th position despite the boycott of the games by the gold medal favourite United States.

Smyth next represented Australia at the 1982 World Championships in Colombia. The squad, which was in the middle of a rebuilding phase, featured a number of first-time Boomers which included Brad Dalton, Wayne Carroll, Ray Borner, Mark Gaze, Damian Keogh and Robert Scringi. Ian Davies was the teams leading scorer, finishing with the second most total points in the tournament (187), at a average of 23.4 per game. During that time the Boomers would generally fail to reach the medal rounds, finishing in fifth place with a record of 4-4. It was the teams best result at a major FIBA tournament to date.

Smyth continued to play with the national team at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where Australia finished seventh. The seventh place finish in 1984 being the Boomers best Olympic result to that date.

Smyth suited up for another FIBA World Championships in 1986, a year where the Boomers struggled against much stronger competition. Australia finished with a 2-3 record and failed to progress past the initial stages.

Smyth suited up again for Australia at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he helped the team record its best ever finish of fourth place at that time with a 4–4 record. Australia would lose the bronze medal game 49–78 to a United States team which included future NBA players David Robinson and Mitch Richmond as well as NBA players Dan Majerle, Danny Manning and Hersey Hawkins.

Smyths next tournament with the national team was the 1990 FIBA World Championships were Australia delivered another poor showing. With Andrew Gaze (24.3 ppg) leading the team in scoring, finishing the fourth highest scorer at the tournament, the Boomers defeated Brazil in the first stage to advance to the quarterfinals. There they lost to both Puerto Rico (89-79) and USA, which featured Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner and Kenny Anderson, by a single point (78-79). The loss saw Australia fail to reach the medal rounds and finish in seventh place overall.

Smyth was then selected for the Australia team that played at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Alongside Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Andrew Vlahov, Larry Sengstock and Mark Bradtke the Boomers finished in 6th-place finish with a 4–4 record.

The next major tournament for Smyth was the 1994 FIBA World Championships where he made history by playing in his fifth World Championship tournament, equalling the the record for most tournaments participated in by a player. Behind the high scoring of teammate Andrew Gaze, who led the tournament in scoring (23.9 ppg), Australia finished second in their pool to advance to the quarterfinals. There they lost to Russia (76–103) in a game which eliminated them from the medal rounds. The Boomers would finish fifth overall, equalling their best ever result at a World Championship.

FIBA TOTAL STATISTICS

YEARAGEGPMINSPTSREBASTORDRSTLBLKTOPFFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%
199436810215167313503541233.3%21020.0%5683.3%
19923481955271607211515184045.0%143342.4%22100.0%
1990328060000000021000.0%000.0%81080.0%
1988308266861311112110914297339.7%184242.9%101190.9%
1986285058000000010000.0%000.0%151883.3%
198426826410620410201701623448551.8%000.0%182281.8%
1982248079000000022000.0%000.0%192965.5%
19802270102189414301719377748.1%000.0%283384.8%
1978201000000000027000.0%000.0%151978.9%
Total7082755874848665715015613228746%348540%12015080%

FIBA PER GAME STATISTICS

YEARAGEGPMINSPTSREBASTORDRSTLBLKTOPFFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%
199436812.81.92.00.90.41.60.60.00.40.60.51.533.3%0.31.320.0%0.60.883.3%
199234824.46.50.92.00.00.92.60.10.61.92.35.045.0%1.84.142.4%0.30.3100.0%
19903280.07.50.00.00.00.00.00.00.02.60.00.00.0%0.00.00.0%1.01.380.0%
198830833.310.81.61.40.11.51.40.01.11.83.69.139.7%2.35.342.9%1.31.490.9%
19862850.011.60.00.00.00.00.00.00.02.00.00.00.0%0.00.00.0%3.03.683.3%
198426833.013.32.55.10.02.52.10.02.02.95.510.651.8%0.00.00.0%2.32.881.8%
19822480.09.90.00.00.00.00.00.00.02.80.00.00.0%0.00.00.0%2.43.665.5%
19802270.014.62.61.30.62.00.40.02.42.75.311.048.1%0.00.00.0%4.04.784.8%
197820100.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.02.70.00.00.0%0.00.00.0%1.51.978.9%
Total7011.88.01.11.20.10.90.80.00.72.21.94.146%0.51.240%1.72.180%
Season Team PTS AST STL BLK FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P%
1 1 79% 97% 99% 64%
2 0 36 17 11 2
Total 1744 3895 44.8% 627 1507 41.6%

NBA TOTAL STATISTICS

YEARAGETEAMPOSGPGSMINSPTSTRBASTORBDRBSTLBLKTOVPFFGFGAFG%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%TS%EFG%
199537Sydney10-16 (11)16591.010953558452341822359636%165430%232785%50%45%13
199436Adelaide18-8 (2)33720.02196292224040345506815444%4710943%364482%63%59%17
199335Adelaide14-12 (7)281,056.030273135165746459619823841%5112840%557079%56%52%24
199234Canberra11-13 (8)261,032.03361061832383654507011822054%6311853%374582%70%68%27
199133Canberra9-17 (9)24982.0369871121770505516811730039%6016137%758885%54%49%29
199032Canberra16-10 (7)22808.02138296136953239597119137%4010937%313686%51%48%28
198931Canberra17-7 (2)281,241.048815813738120923637016539342%8721341%718386%56%53%35
198830Canberra16-8 (4)301,270.066915816548110857607523449248%8819346%11313981%60%57%34
198729Canberra17-9 (5)22941.040411612121957511335413830545%6714247%617285%60%56%36
198628Canberra19-7 (2)250.0304132135251077610556510124841%319134%718089%53%47%27
198527Canberra19-7 (4)280.037215714832125946577513730046%4211337%567377%56%53%25
198426Canberra16-7 (5)220.0317841343351444515811726045%357646%485587%55%52%33
198325Canberra16-6 (4)270.03938313722617111536215130350%000%9110488%56%50%24
198224St Kilda17-9 (6)250.0465131672910200577019439549%000%779185%53%49%33
Total000000000000000000

AWARDS

- 1x time NBL Finals MVP (1988)
- 4x time NBL Best Defensive Player (1982, 1983, 1988, 1989)
- 6x All-NBL First Team
- 1x All-NBL Second Team
- 1x NBL Assists Leader
- 4x NBL Steals Leader
- Member of NBL 25th Anniversary Team (named 2003).

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