When people talk about the greatest shooting guards of the 1990s, the conversation usually gets stuck on Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, or maybe Mitch Richmond. But honestly? If you aren't looking at steve smith nba stats, you’re missing a huge chunk of how the modern "big guard" archetype actually formed. Steve Smith was basically the prototype. He stood 6-foot-8, had the handle of a point guard, and could shoot over almost anyone.
He wasn't just a role player. He was a cornerstone.
Most fans today know him as the smooth-voiced analyst on NBA TV, but back in the day, Smitty was a problem on the court. He finished a 14-year career with 13,430 total points, averaging 14.3 points per game. That might not sound like "superstar" numbers in today’s inflated scoring era, but you’ve gotta remember the context. This was the era of hand-checking and "bruise-brothers" basketball. Scoring 20 a night in 1997 was a different beast than doing it now.
The Atlanta Peak and Those 20-Point Seasons
If you want to see the best version of Steve Smith, you look at his time with the Atlanta Hawks. This is where the steve smith nba stats really start to pop. Between 1994 and 1999, he was the engine for a Hawks team that was always a tough out in the Eastern Conference.
Back-to-back seasons in '96-97 and '97-98 saw him average exactly 20.1 points per game. It’s funny—he actually received MVP votes in years he wasn't an All-Star, which tells you how much the actual players and coaches respected his game versus the fan vote. He finally made the All-Star team in 1998, a year where he looked like one of the most polished offensive weapons in the league.
He didn't just score; he facilitated. Because he was so tall for a guard, he could see over defenses. In his second year in Miami, he was dishing out 5.6 assists per game. Think about that. A 6'8" shooting guard in the early 90s playing secondary playmaker? That was rare.
Why His Shooting Was Ahead of Its Time
One thing that gets overlooked is how Smitty evolved. Early on, he was more of a slasher. But as the league changed, he became a sniper. In 2001-02, while playing for the San Antonio Spurs, he led the entire NBA in three-point percentage. He shot a blistering 47.2% from deep.
- Career 3P%: 35.8% (but look at that 47% peak!)
- Free Throw Reliability: A career 84.5% shooter.
- The Signature Move: The "Smitty" jab-step or the "hesitation" move that froze defenders in their tracks.
He wasn't a "volume" shooter in the sense that he’d take 12 threes a game, but he was incredibly efficient. When he was on the floor for those Portland Trail Blazers teams in 1999 and 2000, he was the guy keeping the floor spaced for Rasheed Wallace and Scottie Pippen.
The Championship Ring and the Veteran Shift
A lot of guys chase rings at the very end of their careers and barely see the floor. Smith’s situation was a bit different. When he went to San Antonio, he was still a vital part of the rotation. In the 2001-02 season, he started 76 games for a team that featured Tim Duncan and David Robinson in their prime.
By the time the Spurs won it all in 2003, his minutes had dropped to about 19 per game, and his scoring dipped to 6.8 PPG. But if you talk to anybody from that locker room, they’ll tell you his veteran presence was massive. He finally got that elusive NBA Championship, adding it to a trophy case that already included an Olympic Gold Medal from the 2000 Sydney games and a FIBA World Championship from 1994.
He’s one of the few players to win at every single level:
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- High School: Detroit Pershing legend.
- College: Michigan State’s all-time leading scorer when he left (2,263 points).
- International: Multiple Gold Medals.
- NBA: 2003 Champion.
What the Stats Don’t Tell You: The "Human" Factor
You can’t talk about Steve Smith without mentioning the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award or the NBA Sportsmanship Award. Usually, stats are about points and rebounds, but Smith’s legacy is tied to his character. He famously donated $2.5 million to Michigan State to help build the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center, named after his mother.
That kind of stuff matters when you’re evaluating a career. He wasn't just a guy who filled a stat sheet; he was a guy who built a culture.
His longevity is also pretty impressive. He played 942 regular-season games. In an era where sports medicine wasn't what it is today, and playing through injuries was the norm, Smith found ways to be productive well into his mid-30s. Even in his second-to-last year, playing for the expansion Charlotte Bobcats, he was still shooting 42.2% from three. The jumper, as they say, is the last thing to go.
Breaking Down the Career Averages
If we look at the raw numbers across his different stops, you see a player who was incredibly adaptable.
In Miami (1991–1994), he was the young, athletic star-in-the-making. He averaged around 15.2 PPG over those first three years. Then came the trade to Atlanta, which honestly changed the trajectory of the franchise. In his five seasons with the Hawks, he averaged 18.6 points, making him one of the premier scoring guards in the league.
The Portland years (1999–2001) saw a slight dip to 14.3 PPG, but that was more about the talent around him. That Blazers team was loaded. He didn't need to score 20 for them to win. He just needed to be a threat.
By the time he hit San Antonio and beyond, he transitioned into the "specialist" role. He became the guy you couldn't leave open on the perimeter. His final career totals sit at:
- Points: 13,430
- Rebounds: 3,060
- Assists: 2,922
- Games Played: 942
It’s a remarkably balanced resume. Almost 3,000 assists for a guy whose primary job was to put the ball in the bucket? That’s high-level basketball IQ.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're looking to truly appreciate what Steve Smith brought to the hardwood, don't just stare at a spreadsheet. Stats are the skeleton, but the film is the soul.
- Watch the 1998 All-Star Game: Smith put up 14 points in just 16 minutes. He belonged on that stage with the greats.
- Study his 2001-02 shooting season: Leading the league at 47.2% from three is a masterclass in shot selection and form.
- Look at the 1996 playoffs: The Hawks' upset over the Pacers was fueled by Smith’s ability to take over games when it mattered.
The steve smith nba stats tell a story of a player who was too big for small guards and too fast for big men. He was a bridge between the physical 80s style and the space-and-pace era we see today. Whether you remember him for the "Smitty" move or just as the guy who never seemed to miss a clutch free throw, there's no denying he was one of the most complete guards of his generation.
Next time you're debating the best shooters of the 90s, make sure his name is in the mix. He earned it.
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To get a real feel for his impact, look up his 1997-98 game logs. You'll see a month-long stretch where he was essentially unguardable, proving that his peak was as high as almost anyone's in the league at that time. Digging into those specific box scores gives you a much better picture of his nightly dominance than just looking at a career average.