Josh Smith, also known as “J-Smoove,” is a former American professional basketball player who spent 13 seasons in the NBA. This article provides an overview of his life, career, and estimated net worth.
**Biographical Information**
– Full Name: Joshua Smith
– Date of Birth: December 5, 1985
– Age: 37 years old
– Place of Birth: College Park, Georgia, U.S.
– Nationality: American
– Gender: Male
– Height: 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters)
– Weight: 225 pounds (102 kilograms)
– Profession: Basketball Player
– Marital Status: Married
– Net Worth: $50 Million
**Early Life and Education**
Josh Smith was born on December 5, 1985, in College Park, Georgia, USA, as one of five children of Pete and Paulette Smith. His father had a professional basketball career in the 1970s in the American Basketball Association (ABA), and his mother ran for the 2022 Republican primary in Georgia’s 6th congressional district.
Smith attended John McEachern High in Powder Springs, Georgia, where he played alongside future NBA players Randolph Morris and Dwight Howard on the Atlanta Celtics AAU team. For his senior year, he transferred to Oak Hill Academy, where he played with Rajon Rondo. Smith had an outstanding senior year with impressive statistics, including 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 blocks, and 3 steals per game. He contributed to Oak Hill’s undefeated 38-0 record. Rivals.com ranked Smith as the third-best player in the nation and the top small forward. Despite committing to play for Indiana University initially, he opted to skip college and enter the NBA draft.
**Career**
– Josh Smith played for the Atlanta Hawks from 2004 to 2013, starting with his selection in the 2004 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, he won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
– He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2005.
– In 2007, Smith became the youngest player to block 500 shots in NBA history.
– In 2008, he had a remarkable playoff performance, recording 28 points and 7 blocks against the Boston Celtics, despite the Hawks being the 8th seed.
– Smith later had stints with the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and briefly with the New Orleans Pelicans.
– In 2016, he played in China for the Sichuan Blue Whales and later joined the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league in 2019.
**NBA Records**
– Josh Smith set several NBA records during his career:
– He became the youngest player to block 10 shots in a game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 18, 2004, at the age of 19 years and 13 days.
– Smith reached 500 career blocked shots when playing for the Atlanta Hawks against the New York Knicks on March 3, 2007, at the age of 21 years and 88 days, accomplishing this in 206 games.
– He reached 1,000 career blocked shots during a game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 2, 2010, at the age of 24 years and 59 days, taking 423 games to achieve this milestone.
– Smith achieved an impressive statistical feat when he scored 30 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, recorded 4 steals, and blocked 3 shots in a game for the Atlanta Hawks against the Phoenix Suns on February 15, 2012, joining Charles Barkley and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to accomplish this feat.
**Personal Life**
Josh Smith married Alexandria Lopez on July 31, 2010. The couple has three children, including two boys and one girl.
**Net Worth**
Josh Smith’s estimated net worth is $50 million, primarily earned through his 13-season NBA career, during which he played for various teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and New Orleans Pelicans.
