Lenzelle Smith Jr.
Lenzelle Smith Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 3, 1991 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Known for | Basketball career in European leagues |
Lenzelle LaJuan Smith Jr. (born October 3, 1991) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently competing for Proton Cable Prizreni in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague. Renowned for his reliable scoring ability across European leagues, Smith measures and occupies roles as both a shooting guard and small forward. Following a four-year collegiate tenure at Ohio State, he declared for the 2014 NBA draft but was not selected.
High school career
Smith developed his skills at Zion-Benton Township located in Zion, Illinois. During his senior year, he averaged 20 points alongside eight rebounds per game, achievements that earned him a place on the Illinois Class 4A First Team and an invitation to the 2010 High School Academic All-American game, which highlights outstanding players excelling academically and in community service. He was honored as first-team all-state in both his junior and senior years and played a pivotal role in guiding his squad to a state runner-up position in 2008 under head coach Don Kloth.
College career
Smith's collegiate basketball career spanned from 2010 to 2014 at Ohio State University, where he represented the Ohio State Buckeyes. As a freshman, he took part in 20 contests, averaging 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds per outing. His contributions increased over the subsequent seasons, culminating in a senior year where he started every one of the 35 games and posted averages of 11.0 points and 5.1 rebounds. Alongside teammate Aaron Craft, Smith amassed an impressive record of 100 victories across 119 games during his college career.
Erie BayHawks (2014–2015)
After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, Smith was chosen with the 38th pick by the Erie BayHawks in the 2014 NBA Development League Draft. Throughout 47 appearances, he averaged 7.3 points, grabbed 3.4 rebounds, and dished out 2.2 assists per game.
Barcellona / Recanati (2015–2016)
Smith participated with the Orlando Magic during the 2015 NBA Summer League. On September 10, 2015, he secured a one-year contract with Italian club Basket Barcellona competing in the Serie A2. In March 2016, he moved to Recanati to finish out the season. Across 23 Serie A2 games, Smith led the league with an average of 1.4 steals per contest while contributing 16.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Körmend (2016–2017)
Smith inked a one-year agreement on August 12, 2016, with Hungarian outfit EGIS Körmend. He achieved a personal best of 27 points on March 26, 2017, helping secure victory against Szolnoki Olaj. His efforts aided Körmend’s advancement to both the Hungarian League Semifinals and the FIBA Europe Cup Round of 16. Over a total of 53 games that season, Smith averaged 14.3 points, collected 6.5 rebounds, provided 3.4 assists, and recorded 1.4 steals per contest.
Kymis (2017–2018)
On August 27, 2017, Smith agreed to terms with Greek club Kymis for the duration of the 2017–18 campaign. He played an integral role in leading Kymis to the 2018 Greek League Playoffs, where they were ultimately defeated by Olympiacos. In his stint spanning 27 games, Smith averaged double-digit scoring with 12 points per game alongside contributions of 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals each contest.
Hapoel Eilat (2018–2019)
On July 24, 2018, Smith committed to a one-year contract with the Israeli club Hapoel Eilat. During a game on October 20, 2018, he delivered a season-best performance by tallying 26 points along with five rebounds, eight assists, and two steals in an overtime defeat against Hapoel Holon. Over the course of 15 appearances, Smith posted averages of 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest before his tenure ended on February 21, 2019, following a wrist injury.
Iraklis (2019)
Smith made his return to Greek basketball on August 13, 2019, signing for Iraklis for the 2019–20 campaign. Across four games played with Iraklis, he averaged 8 points and grabbed 4.5 rebounds per outing.
Hapoel Tel Aviv (2019–2020)
On November 2, 2019, Smith departed from Iraklis to join Hapoel Tel Aviv for the rest of that season. He made an immediate impact in his debut by scoring 25 points—including six three-pointers—while also contributing five rebounds and seven assists in an 85–68 victory over Hapoel Gilboa Galil.
Hapoel Afula (2020–2021)
In 2020, Smith signed with Hapoel Afula, where he posted averages of 16.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game before departing the team in January 2021.
Alba Fehérvár (2021–present)
Smith inked a deal with Alba Fehérvár on December 9, 2021, joining the Hungarian top-tier league Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A (NB I/A).