Re: Remember Michael Smith?

[Ed Ag <afn15554@afn.org>]

> He was a great shooter who couldn't play defense.  Red
> drafted him because he was a white guy from a mormon
> school (remember that fetish?) and actually said on
> draft day that they hoped he would be another Larry. 
> The real Larry, after having watched Smith in practice
> for a day or two, pronounced him "just another white
> guy who can't run or jump."  Smith would awe his
> teammates with his finesse abilities in practice, such
> as banking off the shot clock, or throwing a football
> through the length of the basket cross-court.  Give me
> Derek Smith.

Ah, Derek Smith!  One of my favorite Celtics memories.  They signed him for
the 1990-91 season and he spent the entire year re-habing his knee injury.
Not expected to play at all.  Then, unexpectedly was activated just before
the playoffs.  Played sparingly in the Indiana series until he made a major
contribution in the deciding game 5 -- great defense on Chuck Person (who
was hurting the Celtics), and had a fantastic offensive first quarter (10
points) to get the Celtics going in this great game.  This game is best
remembered as Bird's "Face Injury" game in which Larry cracked his head on
the parquet in the 2nd quarter and was thought to be lost -- only to burst
out of the locker room in the 3rd quarter and lead the Celtics to the
series-clinching victory.  I never get tired of watching the tape of this
game.

Ed Ag  afn15554@afn.org