Smits was born in Eindhoven. He started playing basketball at age 14 at PSV–Almonte in Eindhoven. Smits left for the United States in 1984, where he played for Marist College for four years.[2]
In 1986, Smits led Marist to the ECAC Metro Conference tournament Championship and advanced to play in their first NCAA tournament in school history. In 1987, he led the Red Foxes to 20 wins for the first time in its Division I history and another appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Smits was drafted second overall in the 1988 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers, becoming the first Marist player to play in the NBA. His #45 jersey was later retired by Marist.[citation needed]
NBA career
He spent his entire professional career playing for the Indiana Pacers. With the Pacers, Smits originally backed up Steve Stipanovich, but when Stipanovich suffered a career-ending injury, Smits ended up starting 71 games in his rookie year, averaging 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and earning All-Rookie First Team honors. Smits continued to average double-digit point totals in every year of his career, but it wasn't until the 1993–94 NBA season that Smits really came into his own as a team leader.
Throughout the Pacers' playoff runs in the mid and late 1990s, Smits was considered the number two player, behind Reggie Miller, on the deeply talented Pacers. Smits' highest point-per-game average was in 1995–96 when he averaged 18.5 points per game. That season, on December 10, Smits scored a career-high 44 points during a 111–104 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[4] He was relatively modest by NBA "superstar" standards, but the Dutchman endeared himself to Pacers fans with outstanding playoff performances, most notably in Game 4 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, where he made a buzzer-beating shot to tie the series.
Smits was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team in 1998, delivering ten points, seven rebounds and four assists, including a behind-the-back pass to New Jersey Nets forward Jayson Williams who followed immediately with a slam dunk.
Smits developed nerve damage in his feet from wearing tight shoes as a teenager.[5] To help recover during the off-season, he spent time relaxing at his summer retreat in Walton, New York, where he was a regular attendee of The Afton Fair. Foot problems hobbled Smits for the majority of his career, and he retired at the conclusion of the Pacers' 1999–2000 season, after Indiana was defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals 4 games to 2.
After four surgeries to repair nerve damage to his feet, Smits underwent intensive back surgery in November 2009 to correct cracks in one joint that link his vertebrae. Smits has also undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and had bone chips removed from his left ankle.[5]
Smits was selected to the Pacers' 40th Anniversary Team, chosen by the fans. He ended up with the fourth most votes, trailing only Reggie Miller, Mel Daniels and Jermaine O'Neal.
After his retirement, Smits has devoted his time to collecting and racing vintage motocrossmotorcycles.[6] On 30 November 2011, Smits was featured in Yahoo! Sports, about his formal participation in competitive motocross racing.[7] In 2008 Smits won the AHRMA Vintage National Premier 500 Intermediate Class riding a BSA 500.[8]
In 1998, near the end of his playing career, Smits bought a home in the Indianapolis suburb of Zionsville, Indiana, and continued to live in the home for nearly 20 years, expanding it in 2014 to include a regulation-size basketball half-court. Smits used two barns on the 12.5-acre (5.1 ha) property to house his motorcycles and cars, and built a dedicated motorcycle track in the rear of the property. He and his girlfriend put the property up for sale in the summer of 2017, shortly after they moved to Arizona.[9]
Smits has two children, a daughter named Jasmine and son named Derrik. Jasmine Smits is currently the Player Relations Coordinator for the Indiana Pacers and the Pacers farm team Indiana Mad Ants. Derrik Smits, listed at 7 feet 2 inches (2.18 m) and 240 pounds (110 kg), who played for the Valparaiso Universitymen's basketball team from 2016 to 2019[10] and played his final season of college eligibility in 2019–20 at Butler University.[11] Derrik was forced to redshirt the 2015–16 season due to an injury, and began play the following season at Valparaiso.[12] He graduated from Valparaiso in December 2018, taking graduate-level courses in the 2019 spring term to maintain his basketball eligibility; his graduation made him immediately eligible to play at Butler.[11]
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