“The Jet” is back with another spotlight focused brightly on him after his glorious days in the field of NBA back in the 80s & 90s! While the fans have always been curious about his sports career followed by his time as a studio analyst for the same game, in recent times there has been a surge of growing interest regarding his personal life.
Lately, the social media pages as well as article investigators are now asked about one issue frequently, and it’s regarding Kenny Smith net worth. We can often assume how much an NBA player earns based on his success, but we can’t be certain since there are matters of branding and product marketing tied to the stars.
Such is the case for Kenny Smith as well, and it requires expert analysts to fully assess how much he is worth in 2024. While we can speculate that his salary is around $4 million per year, his net worth has accumulated around $20 million currently.
To learn how we’ve gathered this intimate knowledge, you must take a journey with us through his career, personal lifestyle and activities in order to legitimize this claim. Scrolling till the end should provide you with all the facts and necessary information to confirm the credibility of the aforementioned net worth, and this article is solely focused on this matter.
Who Is Kenny Smith?
If you are unfamiliar with this sports personality, then we’re here to enlighten you with all of his personal information in this brief section. Kenneth Smith was born on March 8, 1965 in Queens, New York, U.S. and was raised in the LeFrak City neighborhood.
He familiarized himself with basketball at a very early age. He began playing the game initially at the Riverside Church, and then in his school life at Archbishop Molloy High School. Picking this school has been a blessing in disguise for him as he was able to be mentored by the famous high school coach Jack Curran, renowned for his record breaking most wins both in New York City and New York State altogether.
Smith’s career progressed smoothly and his talent with the ball saw him land in the University of North Carolina where he received the second phase of training. This training included the former star player Bobby Lewis, who extensively helped out Smith with his workout routine and overall development as a basketball player.
Apart from basketball, Smith’s personal life saw him getting married twice. His first marriage bore him two children but the couple eventually decided to part ways. Afterward, Smith met with the former The Price Is Right English model Gwendolyn Osborne in 2004, and the duo settled down with a daughter from Osborne’s marriage prior to Smith.
Osborne pressed divorce charges against him in 2018 after having two children together, and the couple parted their ways with Smith left to pay child & spousal support from his earnings. His latest stand on sport was his boycotting ‘NBA on TNT’ set after the Jacob Blake shooting incident keeping solidarity with the six teams that collectively decided to walk off.
Net Worth Analysis: Kenny Smith Edition
Now comes our point of debate: how much is Kenny Smith net worth in 2024? You already know the answer that says $20 million, but what are the grounds for this? Let’s start with his NBA career to assess his lifetime earnings.
Initially, Smith started his professional career with Sacramento Kings in 1987 after being picked at the draft. He ended up in the Rookie of the Season list after his first year at the sport, and his inner talent could be realized by not only his coach or teammates, but also the opponents who shared the court with him.
After a four year run with the team, they swapped Smith out to Atlanta Hawks in the early 90s which many thought would result in a major decline in his career. But proving all the critics wrong, his following move to Houston Rockets in the same season shocked the fans as well as the experts, and this is where he eventually reached his prime in the sport.
The next four seasons were the golden ages of Smith’s career. Playing as a permanent point guard for the team, this icon helped them secure consecutive NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. But the latter season was somewhat dimming to this bright star’s career since he started losing game time to Sam Cassell and it was covered briefly by Sports Illustrated.
This pickle had reached its climax after the 1995 season, and Houston decided to let him go which is marked as a heartbreaking departure in the history of the NBA. The following season saw Smith lose concentration as he shifted between three teams with a low-morale, and finally decided to call it a day after playing his last game for the Denver Nuggets.
Although he left the sport as a player, he remained in it as an analyst till date because of his love for the game. Starting out in 1998 as a studio analyst, he was fortunate enough to work alongside the likes of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, according to the USA Today.
He further worked as an analyst on NBA TV and commentator on MSG Network and CBS/Turner. He has become a permanent analyst for the show Inside the NBA where you’ll find him even today. Based on all the achievements and involvements mentioned above, we can claim with utmost certainty that Kenny Smith net worth is $20 million.
Biography
It’s time for us to take a longer jump over the career and personal details of Kenny Smith. This section gives you intricate insights into the former basketball star’s life very briefly.
| Name | Kenneth Smith |
| Nickname | The Jet |
| Date of Birth | March 8, 1965 |
| Place of Birth | Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 75 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 170 lbs (77 kg) |
| Alma Mater | North Carolina |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Partner(s) | 2 (both divorced) |
| No. of Children | 4 |
| Net Worth | $20M |
| Achievements | 2 NBA champion (1994, 1995)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1988) 1986 FIBA World Championship (Gold Medal) |
Thoughts
Kenny Smith’s overall life has gone quite smoothly up until the decline in his NBA career. From that point onward, it has had both ups and downs. His losing position to newer players only reflect on the nature of this sport which demands each star to be competitive at all times and keep working to improve their standards.
No matter how it turned out for Smith in the end, he did manage to stick to the arena and accumulate handsome figures by providing his expert analysis. In both of his marriages, Smith didn’t have to split his property probably due to wedding prenups. However, he did pay for his ex-wife Osborne and her two children.
If he didn’t have prenups, he’d be worth half as much as he is at the moment. As all the facts about his life, his glory and his failures are all laid bare in this article, you’ll realize yourself that the assessment that claimed Kenny Smith net worth to be $20 million is highly accurate.
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