Adrian “Odie” Smith, a shooting guard who helped Kentucky’s “Fiddlin’ Five” win an NCAA championship and then competed in the Pan American Games, Olympics, and professional basketball, died on April 28. He was 89 years old.
According to his obituary, Smith died in Cincinnati, where he played nine of his eleven professional basketball seasons with the Royals from 1961 to 1969.
According to WPSD, Smith was born in Farmington, Kentucky, and was one of the first junior college players to get a scholarship to play for the Wildcats under coach Adolph Rupp.
During the 1957-58 season, he transferred to Northeast Mississippi Junior College and helped Kentucky earn a national title.
According to his obituary, Smith’s siblings nicknamed him Odie after his favorite comic team, Pap and Odie, from the Grand Ole Opry radio show.
Following Kentucky, Smith was chosen by the Cincinnati Royals in the 15th round of the 1958 NBA draught but was released from the team. According to his obituary, he was drafted again by the United States Army.
While still dressed in uniform, Smith participated in the 1959 Pan American Games and the 1960 Olympics for the United States squad, winning gold in both categories.
During the Americans’ debut game in the Rome Summer Games, Smith led the U. S. team with 17 points against Italy on a squad that included future basketball Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, and Jerry West.
He was a member of the United States team inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in August 2010.
According to The Associated Press, the 6-foot-1 guard was named MVP of the 1966 NBA All-Star Game. According to the news release, he was traded to the San Francisco Warriors in 1969 and spent two seasons on the West Coast before returning east and retiring from professional basketball with the ABA’s Virginia Squires in 1971-72.
“Odie has a unique place in the history and cherished legacy of Kentucky basketball,” Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart said in a statement. “His accomplishments on the court—the NCAA championship at UK, two gold medals representing the United States in international competition, and an 11-year professional career—speak for themselves.
“What I remember most about Odie is his good attitude. Wherever he went, he radiated brightness, always cheerful, and, most importantly, extremely proud to have played for the Wildcats. Our sympathies are with his family, friends, and the Wildcat basketball community, which meant so much to him. “
According to his obituary, Smith was selected to carry the Olympic torch through Cincinnati as part of the Atlanta Summer Games in 1996.
