Russ Smith spent his childhood growing up in New York City, where he instantly gained an affinity with the game of basketball. He became a dynamic scoring guard, as he scored 24.5 points per game as a junior and nearly 30 as a senior with Archbishop Molloy High School. To better prepare for the demands of playing at the next level, Smith went to South Kent in 2009, where he stepped up to the challenge and averaged about 20 points and 4 assists, leading the Cardinals to a 20-12 record.
The Louisville Cardinals snatched Smith first, as he evolved from a role player to a superstar. In 2012, he showcased his defensive prowess, tallying 87 steals in 39 games, a Louisville school record. The Cardinals went on to win the Big East Championship before advancing to the Final Four, where they lost to the eventual national champion Kentucky Wildcats.
Russ Smith then became a bonafide scorer in 2013, averaging 18.7 points per game, earning him First Team All-Big East Honors. He would help orchestrate another Big East Championship run while winning the National Championship against Michigan. In 2014, Louisville moved to the American Athletic Conference (AAC), but that did not slow him down, as he won All First Team Honors yet again, carrying the Cardinals to a Sweet 16 run. Smith finished in the top ten of voting for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, which elevated his draft positioning to 47th in the 2014 NBA Draft. Russ Smith was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, then quickly traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Despite Smith’s NBA career ending in 2015, he has made his mark in professional basketball. He continued playing in the G League with the Iowa Energy and the Delaware 87ers until 2017. Russ Smith’s most impressive professional stint took place in China, as he won two scoring titles with the Fujian Sturgeons (2017, 2019) and the NBL China Player of the Year (2017).