Former Knicks player Chris Smith seeks 'rebirth' with Basketball Africa League
Fifty-six basketball players from around the world showed up to the Brooklyn Nets’ practice facility in early December with the same goal: become a player in Basketball Africa League’s inaugural season that will begin in March 2020.
Some players are entering fresh from their college hoops days, while others have had stints in the NBA, G League, and international leagues.
For Chris Smith, a 32-year-old former NBA player and brother to veteran guard J.R. Smith, participating in BAL’s two-day scouting combine meant a shot at redemption. He wants another chance at the NBA.
“It is history in the making, but it is a rebirth for me,” Smith told Paste BN Sports. “It reminds me of my younger days playing for the Knicks. This league will give me the opportunity that I didn’t have in the younger stages of my career."
Smith played at Manhattan College before transferring to Louisville to finish his college career.
He has had an up-and-down pursuit at the NBA.
After going undrafted in 2012, Smith joined the Knicks’ Summer League team. He then signed with the team, but was waived, eventually rejoining the Summer League team and then signing with the Knicks again in 2013.
After appearing in two games with the Knicks that season, he was waived, picked up by the same G League team and eventually released.
Since then, Smith has played in Kosovo, Canada, and Israel.
BAL is the NBA’s first league to operate in collaboration with FIBA outside of North America, and their two-day scouting combine brought scouts, coaches and execs representing 20 different African countries. There will be 12 teams.
According to Smith, this league is going to work because of the talent involved and “today everyone is looking for what is new… a lot of players are looking for a new outlet. This gives you a new opportunity to build a brand globally.”
Smith said that he was surprised how organized this combine was and the amount of talent that attended.
Smith believes BAL has the potential to be the biggest league in the world because of its attachment to the NBA. His favorite moment of the BAL combine was reconnecting with a former teammate from Manhattan, Franck Traore. Traore now works in the NBA’s international basketball operations department in Africa.
Now he hopes to make one of the BAL's 16-man rosters, and then prove himself from there.
“Personally, to be a face for this league, it would mean everything to me," Smith said. "I had shortcomings in my beginning stages in the league (NBA) but here I have a fair chance of proving I am an elite player.”