What Happened to Kenny Smith's Legs?
What Happened to Kenny Smith's Legs?
By Kirsten Cunanan October 24, 2024 10:58 GMT+4 min read
We enjoy Kenny Smith’s knowledge and analysis of basketball, but it’s inevitable that we also catch a glimpse of his inverted legs and wonder what happened. The Inside the NBA commentator, and two-time NBA Champion went through a tough battle to fulfill his dreams, including ones he never thought were possible anymore–all because of a subway ride.
What Happened: The Subway Ride
It was 1981, and Smith was in 11th grade. He was playing around with his two best friends, George Kingland and Chris Sterling, racing to the Main Street subway station. The train pulled up into the station, and they quickly ran, sliding into the train as the doors closed behind them.
The three were exhausted from the run, so they decided to catch their breaths as they sat down in their seats. That was the moment they heard a crack and a pop, which only meant something concerning happened.
Together with that sound, Smith’s dreams cracked as well. Playing in the NBA seemed like a whole blur at that moment, and as Smith recalled, “It sounded like I’d sat on a bag of potato chips. My first thought was to look behind me to see if there was indeed something on the seat, so I tried to stand. I couldn’t. My knee had gone extremely wrong, and I couldn’t even straighten my leg.”
He said that they learned that his growth plate had broken off and dislodged inside the joint of his knee. At that point, surgery was necessary. Ultimately, that also meant that Smith’s dreams of playing professional basketball might become a huge ‘what if.’
Healing Journey back to hoops
Smith had a long healing journey ahead of him after the surgery. However, his father encouraged him to keep fighting for his dreams. He said, “This injury can stop you, and you can become a lamb, or you may put in a lot of effort to become a tiger.”
Of course, the answer was obvious. Smith underwent hard therapy sessions with his father and brother, Vince. The commitment that Smith made to becoming better eventually paid off, and his basketball career flourished. He overcame his injury and developed a different playing style, earning him collegiate offers.
After college, Kenny Smith also played in the NBA. The Sacramento Kings selected him sixth overall in the 1987 draft. He won back-to-back championships with the Houston Rockets in 1993-94 and 1994-95.
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