Charles Smith: Georgetown Star, 1989 Big East MVP & NBA Guard
Discover Charles Edward Smith IV — the standout Georgetown guard who earned 1989 Big East Player of the Year, helped Team USA win Olympic bronze in 1988, then played in the NBA with the Celtics and Timberwolves before a long pro career overseas.
Jul 25, 202513.6K Shares341.3K Views
Charles Smithwas born on July 16, 1965, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He attended Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport, where he developed into a standout basketball player before moving on to college.
College Career
Charles Smith played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh from 1984 to 1988. He was part of a strong recruiting class widely regarded as one of the best in the country, and hae quickly became a dominant player on the Panthers’ roster.
In the 1987–88 season, Smith was named Big East Player of the Year for his outstanding play. During that season, he helped Pittsburgh reach a national ranking as high as No. 2 and led the team into the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 18.9 points per game, ranking among the top scorers in the conference that year, and also contributed around 7 to 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game, leading the league in assists by a forward.Overall, across 122 career games, Smith posted averages of about 16.8 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in roughly 33.6 minutes per game, shooting very efficiently at around 50% from the field. He scored over 2,000 career points and became Pitt’s all-time leading scorer at the time.At the end of his college career, he was a three-time All‑Big East selection, including First Team in 1987 and 1988, and he also earned Second-team All-American honors in 1988.
NBA Career
Charles Smith was selected third overallin the 1988 NBA Draftby the Philadelphia 76ers, but was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. In his rookie season (1988–89), Smith averaged about 16 pointsand 8 reboundsper game and earned a spot on the NBA All‑Rookie First Team.Over the next four seasons with the Clippers (1988–1992), he was the team’s top scorer, posting an average of 19 points per gameduring his time there.In 1992 Smith was traded to the New York Knicks, along with teammates, in exchange for Mark Jackson. Knicks coach Pat Riley shifted him from power forward to small forward to fill a key position. His move to the Knicks marked a change in position and role on the court.Smith played with the Knicks from 1992 to 1996, despite knee issues that started affecting his play. His performance slowly declined over those years.
In 1996, he joined the San Antonio Spurs, playing the 1996–97 season, which was his final year in the NBA.Over a 10-season NBA career, Charles Smith appeared in 564 games, averaging 14.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assistsper game while playing about 29 minuteseach night. By the end of his career he had scored a total of 8,107 points, with 3,246 reboundsand 798 assists.
Post-retirement
Charles Smith took his energy from the court into the business world after retiring from the NBA. He served as a Team Representative, and later First Vice President, for the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). There, he helped launch the NBPA Foundation, a non-profit to support retired players in need. He also became Executive Directorof the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), where he organized exhibition games with more than 40 former NBA stars to raise community awareness and support.
Smith went on to start New Media Technology Corp, one of the first companies to create patented video-ingestion apps back in 1998. He later joined MediaComas Head of Sports & Entertainment and then led new business efforts at The Midas Exchange, both global firms under the WPP Group.
He also works as a Master Facilitatorwith Fierce, Inc., a leadership training company. In this role, he helps businesses improve team communication, diversity, and leadership through guided conversations and strategic frameworks.
Smith remains closely linked to his roots and his hometown community. He founded the Charles D. Smith Foundationin Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1989, which supports academic goals for inner-city youth. He also created the Pittsburgh Basketball Alumni Business Network, aimed at helping former Pitt basketball players build professional connections and succeed in life off the court.
His broader influence includes launching podcasts like Undiscovered Gemsthrough PODS Entertainment Group, where he interviews and highlights emerging leaders in business, sports, and entertainment.
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