Vernon Smith (basketball)
Vernon Dean Smith was an American professional basketball player. He played collegiately for the Texas A&M Aggies, where he was an All-SWC selection every season he played. Smith was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the 46th overall pick in the 1981 NBA draft but never played in the National Basketball Association. Instead, Smith spent one season with multiple teams in the Continental Basketball Association before playing in Italy and Spain. In February 1982, Smith signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons but never played with the team. In October 1982, Smith was signed by the Indiana Pacers but was released later that month before the start of the 1982–83 NBA season.
After playing his final season in 1986–87 with CEB Llíria, Smith returned to his hometown of Dallas, Texas. He worked as a clerk at Sears and was a church organist.
Smith was fatally shot in a case of mistaken identity. He had been sitting in his car outside an Oak Cliff apartment block when a man, who had argued with a dice game opponent moments earlier, approached Smith and shot him.
Smith was inducted to the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. He ranks second in total points scored for the Aggies.
