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 CHAT TRANSCRIPT -- JUNE 25, 1999 One-on-One with Kenny Smith |
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Smith started his nine-year career with the Sacramento Kings where he was named a member of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1988 after averaging 13.8 points and 7.1 assists per game. His proudest moments during his NBA career came in 1994 and 1995, when he helped the Houston Rockets win back-to-back championships. He left the Rockets as Houston's all-time leader in three-point percentage at .407 and went on to play for the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic. Smith chatted live on June 25. Read what he had to say about the NBA Finals, the NBA Draft and other topics in the transcript below. Pimp in the Box from ngs.org at 3:14pm ET Where/how did you hone your TV studio skills? Did you take media arts/communications courses in college, or just work on it a lot after your playing career?  Kenny Smith at 3:15pm ET I didn't take any classes for broadcasting. It was a trial by fire and a trial by error. My whole philosophy is to talk the same way I always do, whether I'm on the air or off, so I think when you speak naturally, it makes it more enjoyable for viewers to listen to. Gregg from impulse.net at 3:16pm ET Hi Kenny! I'm a small-town TV and radio sports announcer myself. How are you liking your new career on this side of the microphone? Kenny Smith at 3:19pm ET I'm enjoying it tremendously because I've always been a fan of basketball before I was good at it. Playing basketball was just a bonus, and now I get to be a fan again. Nick from proxy.aol.com at 3:19pm ET Kenny, what are your thoughts on how the NBA draft will turn out? Who will be the top pick? Kenny Smith at 3:21pm ET I think the top player will probably be Lamar Odom. He's the most talented prospect of the draft because of his size and ability. I like Steve Francis as well. But I think there will be about 20 guys who will have 10-year careers in the NBA. You won't have a lot of impact players, but you'll have players who will turn out to be good, solid players. David Cormack from tnt1.chi1.da.uu.net at 3:21pm ET Do you have a specific coach that taught you the most in your career? Kenny Smith at 3:22pm ET I think my high school coach was very influential on my career. Most of the things I learned in high school I was still doing in the NBA. Coupled with what I learned from Coach Smith at North Carolina, those two were probably the most influential. Individually, my brother was a big influence on me and helping me improve my game. Alex at 3:22pm ET What brought you to TV? Kenny Smith at 3:25pm ET I kind of fell into it by accident. It wasn't anything I planned, I was just asked to do it by Ted Turner. They asked me to come on as a guest after we lost one year. Once I got into it, though, I really enjoyed it and decided to pursue it once I finished playing. Michael from jcu.edu at 3:25pm ET Do you have any aspirations to one day coach an NBA team? Kenny Smith at 3:26pm ET Yes, I do have aspirations to do that one day. Right now I'm enjoying what I'm doing at TNT, so it won't be in the immediate future. But someday down the road, I would like to get into that aspect of basketball. Bigdaw3017@aol.com from proxy.aol.com at 3:27pm ET Kenny, what do you think the Knicks have to do to stay alive tonight and do you think they will do it? Kenny Smith at 3:29pm ET I think, to stay alive, they have to create more mismatches in their favor. That means that I probably would go with a Latrell Sprewell-Allan Houston backcourt. Will they do it? I don't think so. They haven't done it at all during the Finals. Chris Childs and Charlie Ward have really been neutralized so far, and I think the Knicks could bring in those two guys when the Spurs bring in Steve Kerr, but unless Kerr's in the game, they should utilize their size and keep Sprewell and Houston in the game. David Cormack from tnt1.chi1.da.uu.net at 3:29pm ET Do you think the Knicks could of won the championship if Patrick Ewing had suited up? Kenny Smith at 3:30pm ET I think Patrick would have made a huge difference. Throughout this season, critics have said that the Knicks played better without him. I always disagreed. It may have been a little more pleasing to the eye without him, but I don't think that they necessarily play better. Tommy Yu from res-hall.nwu.edu at 3:30pm ET In your career, what was your most memorable moment? Kenny Smith at 3:32pm ET My first would be playing in my first college basketball game. When I first walked out on the floor, I realized that all the things that I dreamed about as a kid were becoming reality. My second would be the three-pointer that sent Game 1 of 1995 Finals against the Magic to overtime. Michael from jcu.edu at 3:32pm ET Do you think that there should be rule changes to promote scoring around the league? Kenny Smith at 3:33pm ET I don't think there should be any rule changes. I think there should be coaching philosophy changes. I think coaches have certain philosophies on how the game should be played, and it keeps their teams close, but it doesn't keep the fans interested. I think if those philosophies change, then you'll end up getting a more open-style game that's more enjoyable to watch. Mugzy from govnet.state.vt.us at 3:34pm ET What was it like playing in a championship and where did the nickname "the jet" come from? Kenny Smith at 3:36pm ET Playing for a championship was the culmination of everything you started playing for. Once you win, you remember why you started playing the game in the first place. The Jet started in high school by a writer for the Daily News named Bill Travers. He saw me play and said I blew by opponents like a jet. It never really got brought out in college or the NBA, but Kevin Harlan, an announcer for TNT, knew about it and revived it. David Cormack from tnt1.chi1.da.uu.net at 3:36pm ET What do you think of your former teammate Mario Elie, who has another chance of getting a ring? Kenny Smith at 3:37pm ET I don't know if I'll be able to live with Mario. He and I live in the same area during the summer time. He's going to rub it in, so I'm going to have to get some earmuffs so I won't have to hear it. Ravs from ma.ikos.com at 3:38pm ET What do you think Phil Jackson's coaching will do to the Lakers next year? Kenny Smith at 3:39pm ET Phil obviously knows what he's doing basketball-wise. He also knows how to manage players and he knows a good team because he's had the luxury of coaching the best player to ever play the game and another top 50 player in Scottie Pippen. Now he has the luxury to coach Shaquille O'Neal and perhaps one of the best young talents of the game, so he knows how to pick a good team to coach. Tommy Yu from res-hall.nwu.edu at 3:39pm ET What nickname would you give Vince Carter? Kenny Smith at 3:40pm ET I've already nicknamed him: Half-man, half-amazing. Vince says that's his favorite nickname.  at 3:41pm ET Thanks for joining us today, Kenny. Any closing comments? Kenny Smith at 3:42pm ET Enjoy the last games of the NBA season, everybody. It should be a lot more exciting next year because all your favorite teams will have a good chance of winning it all.
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