Josh Smith

Overview

Born in College Park, Georgia to Pauletta and Pete Smith on December 5th, 1985. As one of five kids, Walter, Phebe, Kasola and Shanti. 
 
Smith attended John McEachern High School, until his senior year when he transfered to Oak Hill Academy. As a player for Oak Hill's basketball team, he first earned his reputation as a consummate shot-blocker, which he would maintain in the NBA. He played alongside current Atlanta Hawk teammate Randolph Morris and Orlando's Dwight Howard on the highly regarded Atlanta Celtics AAU team in the summer of 2003.
 

NBA Career

Smith was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 17th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft staight out of high school.  He publicly disagrees with the rule change that prohibits high school players from entering the NBA Entry Draft.
 
He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during his rookie year in the 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend. He averaged 9.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.95 blocks per game for the 2004-2005 season and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. For the 2005-06 season, Smith averaged 2.25 blocks per game, ranking seventh in the NBA.
 
After the NBA All-Star Weekend, he continued his steady development. He finished second in the NBA in totla blocks, 4th in blocks per game and averaged 15 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 3.1 bpg and 1 spg after the All-Star break and contribution helped the Hawks double their win total of 13 wins from the previous season to the finish 26-56.
 
On March 3, 2007, Smith broke the 500-block mark, making him the youngest player to do so in NBA history. Smith ended the 2006-07 season with 16.4 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.9 block, dramatically improving on his previous season's stats. Leading the Hawks after Joe Johnson's season-ending injury, Smith produced a career high 32 points and 19 rebounds in Johnson's absence. He eclisped this mark on November 17, 2007 with a new career high of 38 points on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks.
 
On August 8, 2008, Smith signed an offer sheer to play with the Memphis Grizzlies, but the Hawks quickly matched the offer sheet. Smith was told by Atlanta to go out as a restricted free agent to test the market, putting the pressure on Smith to essentially go out and set his price.
 
On October 30, 2009, in a home game vs the Washington Wizards, Smith became the youngest player (at 23 years old) to reach 900 blocks.