Dick Smyth  grew up in the Far Rockaway Beach neighborhood of New York City. As a teenager, he joined a local team, the Big Atlantics, where he captured the attention  of Dick  Schmeelk, a famed pro star. Schmeelk recruited him to play for the New York Nationals, a professional basketball team that made a series  of historic barnstorming trips to  the mid-west. Smyth never became a star player, but because he he was hard-working and  fundamentally sound, he enjoyed a long career. Smythe appeared on the roster of over thirty teams during his  fifteen seasons of professional basketball.

 

DICK SMYTH		Height:	6:00		Weight:	165			College:		None
Richard Joseph Smyth		Born:  Mar 17, 1895			Died:  Sep 11, 1967				Hometown:		Rockaway Beach, NY
					REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1912-13	Far Rockaway Beach  Big Atlantics	Indep
1912-13	New York York Nationals	Indep
1913-14	Brooklyn Kirkman AA	Indep
1913-14	Kingston	NYSL	1	0	0	0	.000		0	0.0
1914-15	New York Nationals	Indep
1915-16	South Philadelphia De Neri	EBL	1	1	0	0	.000	1	2	2.0
1915-16	Elizabeth–North Hudson–Brooklyn	IBL	24	36	35				107	4.5
1915-16	Newark Nationals	ECBL	1	0	1				1	1.0
1916-17	Hazleton	PSL	38	70	49			15	189	5.0
1917-18	Hazelton–Plymouth	PSL	42	80	58			10	218	5.2
1918-19	Brooklyn Morse Dry Dock	Indep
1919-20	Plymouth	PSL	18	34	36			4	104	5.8
1919-20	Brooklyn	IBL	1	2	1				5	5.0
1919-20	Turners Falls	IL	1	1	6				8	8.0
1919-20	New York Lyceum	Indep
1919-20	Brookln Van & Schenck	Imdep
1919-20	Brooklyn Knights of St. Anthony	Indrep
1920-21	Amsterdam	NYSL	13	13	13				39	3.0
1920-21	Wilkes-Barre	PSL	2	6	2			0	14	7.0
1920-21	21Hartford/Turners Falls–Westfield	IL	13	26	18				70	5.4
1920-21	Brooklyn Pros	Indep
1920-21	New York Nationals	Indep
1920-21	Brooklyn Arcadians
1921-22	New York MacDowell	MBL	19	50	32				132	6.9
1921-22	Amsterdam	NYSL	3	2	0				4	1.3
1921-22	New York	EBL	3	5	2	6	.333	3	12	4.0
1921-22	Holyoke	IL	1	0	3				3	3.0
1921-22	Paterson–Greenpoint–Brooklyn Dodgers –New York McDowell	MBL	19	50	32				132	6.
1922-23	Greenfield	IL	1	4	1				9	9.0
1922-23	Brooklyn Knights of St. Anthony	Indep
1923-24	Greenpoint	MBL	4	2	1				5	1.3
1923-24	Amsterdam	NYSL	2	0	0				0	0.0
1924-25	Paterson	MBL	20	22	18				62	3.1
1924-25	Tamaqua	AnBL	2	1	2				4	2.0
1925-26	Newark–Paterson	MBL	7	6	7				19	2.7
1925-26	Trenton	EBL	13	27	0				54	4.2
1925-26	Lou Gehrig All Stars	Indep
1926-27	Ridgewood*Orange	NLN	7	11	5				27	3.9
1926-27	Brooklyn–Washington	ABL	17	17	17				51	3.0
	Major League Totals		294	476	356				1308	4.4

 

 

 

During his nineteen year pro career basketball career, Mike Smolick built a reputation a  good shooter, an accurate passer and a well-respected teammate.  He first came to prominence  as the captain of the  the Rockville Centre Wizards,  one of the top independent teams in in the metropolitan New York City area.  In the cozy Rockville Centre Club Auditorium on Long Island, the Wizards   were nearly unbeatable from 1913 until 1917.  In 1918, Smolick  began a four-year stint with New York Celtics and played a prominent role in the Celtics’ transition from a good team to a great team. During the  1919-20 season, the  Celtics  lost just four of 69 games. During  the final years of his career in the early twenties,  Smolick still ranked among the best players in the New York State League.

.

MIKE SMOLICK		Height:	5:09		Weight:		175		College:	None
Michael Smolick Jr.		Born: Jun 5, 1890			Died:  Dec 26, 1964				Hometown:	New York, NY
			REGULAR SEASON RECORD		REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1910-11	Hudson	HRL	2	1	2				4	2.0
1911-12	Brooklyn Trinity AA	Indep
1912-13	LI Rockville Centre Wizards	Indep
1913-14	Harrison	TSBL	1	0	0				0	0.0
1913-14	LI Rockville Centre Wizards	Indep
1914-15	LI Rockville Centre Wizards	Indep
1914-15	Cohoes	NYSL	1	86	1				7	7.0
1915-16	Kingston–Stamford	IBL	11	18	13				49	4.5
1916-17	New York–Hoboken	IBL	12	14	21				49	4.1
1917-18	Ansonia/Bridgeport	CSL	9	15	13				43	4.8
1918-19	Orgiinal Celtics	Indep
1919-20	New York Celtics	Indep
1919-20	Albany	NYSL	18	43	25				111	6.2
1919-20	Ansonia	IBL	1	1	2				4	4.0
1919-20	Turners Falls	IL	2	1	11				13	6.5
1919-20	New York Knickerbockers	Indep
1920-21	Orgiinal Celtics	Indep
1920-21	Schecnectady	NYSL	32	64	98				98	3.1
1920-21	Norwalk	ICL	2	4	6				14	7.0
1920-21	Easthampton–Turners Falls	IL	11	28	30				86	7.8
1921-22	Orgiinal Celtics	Indep
1921-22	Schenectady–Amsterdam	NYSL	30	57	82				196	6.5
1921-22	Paterson	MBL	11	18	43				79	7.2
1921-22	Springfield	IL	4	3	8				14	3.5
1922-23	Amsterdam	NYSL	35	38	120				196	5.6
1922-23	Paterson–New York MacDowell	MBL	6	5	11				21	3.5
1923-24	Mohawk	NYSL	13	11	46				68	5.2
1923-24	Brooklyn	Indep
1924025’1925-26	Brooklyn	Indep
1926-27	Brooklyn	Indep
1927-28	Brooklyn St.Brendan Seniors	Indep
1928-29	Brooklyn Bearcats	Indep
	Major League Totals		200	324	532				1180	5.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1919-20	Ansonia	IBL	1	1	2				4	4.0
1919-20	Turners Falls	IL	2	1	11				13	6.5
1919-20	Orgiinal Celtics	Indep
1919-20	Newark Whirlwinds	Indep
1919-20	Stamford	Indep
1919-20	Brooklyn Knights of St.Anthony	Indep
1920-21	New York Celtics	Indep
1920-21	Schecnectady	NYSL	32	64	98				226	7.1
1920-21	Norwalk	ICL	2	4	6				14	7.0
1920-21	Easthampton–Turners Falls	IL	11	28	30				86	7.8
1921-22	New York Celtics	Indep
1921-22	Schenectady–Amsterdam	NYSL	30	57	82				196	6.5
1921-22	Paterson	MBL	11	18	43				79	7.2
1921-22	Springfield	IL	4	3	8				14	3.5
1922-23	Amsterdam	NYSL	35	38	120				196	5.6
1922-23	Paterson–New York MacDowell	MBL	6	5	11				21	3.5
1923-24	Mohawk	NYSL	13	11	46				68	5.2
	Major League Totals		200	324	532				1180	5.9

 

Willie Smith was called the toughest player he ever faced by John Wooden. While he was never a very good shooter, Smith excelled as one of the top defenders and rebounders in professional basketball of the 1930’s and early 1940’s. Smith was discovered playing for Cleveland’s Slaughter Brothers team by New York Renaissance owner Bob Douglas. He joined the Rens in 1932 as they embarked on a four-season run of 473 wins and only 49 losses. The team won 88 straight games during this period. Smith rotated in the pivot with Tarzan Cooper. With his strength, quickness and great balance, Smith could dominate a game defensively. Smith was a key figure in the Rens’ capturing the first national pro tournament in Chicago in 1939. He stayed with the Rens through the 1942-43 season before he returned to his hometown in the 1943-44 season to play with the Cleveland entry in National Basketball League. In 1947, Smith was lured out of retirement at the age of 37 to play one last season with the Rens who had joined the NBL representing Dayton, Ohio

.

WILLIE SMITH		Height:	6:05		Weight:		235		College:		None
William T. Smith		Born: Apr 22, 1911			Died:  Mar 14, 1992				Hometown:		Cleveland, O.
Wee Willie Smith					REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1931-32	Cleveland Slaughter Brothers	Indep
1932-33	New York Rens	Indep
1933-34	New York Rens	Indep
1934-35	New York Rens	Indep
1935-36	New York Rens	Indep
1936-37	New York Rens	Indep
1937-38	New York Rens	Indep
1938-39	New York Rens	Indep
1939-40	New York Rens	Indep
1940-41	New York Rens	Indep
1941-42	New York Rens	Indep
1941-42	Baltimore Mets	Indep
1942-43	New York Rens	Indep
1943-44	Cleveland	NBL	4	9	6	16	.375		24	6.0
1943-44	New York Rens	Indep
1944-45	New York Rens	Indep
1945-46	Cleveland Fifas	Indep
1945-46	Cleveland Allmen Transfers	Indep
1945-46	Cleveland Buckeyes	Indep
1946-47	Cleveland Fifas	Indep
1946-47	Chicago Monarchs	Indep
1947-48	Voluntarily Retired
1948-49	Dayton	NBL	32	45	37	49	.755		127	4.0
	Major League Totals		36	54	43	65	.662		151	4.2
				POST SEASON PLAYOFFS
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1938-39	New York Rens	WBT	3	7	4	6	.667		18	6.0
1939-40	New York Rens	WBT	2	6	3	5	.600		15	7.5
1940-41	New York Rens	WBT	4	9	2	4	.500		20	5.0
1941-42	New York Rens	WBT	2	1	5	6	.833		7	3.5
1943-44	Cleveland	NBL	2	5	7				17	8.5
1943-44	New York Rens	WBT	4	4	2	3	.667		10	2.5
1944-45	New York Rens	WBT	4	13	4	7	.571		30	7.5
1945-46	Cleveland Allmen Transfers	WBT	1	2	1	3	.333		5	5.0
	Major League Totals		22	47	28	34			122	5.5

TOMMY SMITH		Height:	5:07		Weight:				College:		None
Thomas Smith		Born: 1895			Died:				Hometown:		Brooklyn, NY
			REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1913-14	Brooklyn St.John’s Crowns	Indep
1914-15	Brooklyn St.John’s Crowns	Indep
1914-15	Sheepshead Bay	Indep
1915-16	Brooklyn St.Peter”s Crowns	Indep
1916-17	Brooklyn Good Council Arrows	Indep
1917-18	Brooklyn St. Stephan’s Lyceum	Indep
1018-19	Brooklyn St. Agnas Crowns	Indep
1919-20	Brooklyn St.Stephen’s	Indep
1920-21	Plymouth	PSL	1	0	1				1	1.0
1920-21	Thompsonville	IL	18	61	25				147	8.2
	Major League Totals		19	61	26				148	7.8
				PLAYOFF RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1920-21	Thompsonville	IL	3	1	0				####	####
	Major League Totals		3	1					2	0.7