The Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship last night, and one of Charlotte’s own was a part of the celebration: backup point guard Ish Smith.
The 34-year-old Charlotte native didn’t get much playtime during the playoffs but was a key role player in helping the Nuggets earn the top seed in the Western Conference.
He attended Central Cabarrus High School in Concord, then Wake Forest University from 2006- 2010, ranking second all-time in career assists.
Smith went undrafted but has been a reliable role player off the bench throughout his 13-year career.
He has averaged 7.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 19.4 minutes per game in 762 career games for 12 different teams, including the Hornets in 2021-2022.
“Thirteen long years…hopefully, my journey inspires other people,” Smith said in a postgame interview.
