From the University of Kentucky, an NCAA championship in 1958 and a gold medal at the 1959 Pan American Games, Adrian “Odie” Smith went on to play on the 1960 Olympic team and had a successful 11-year pro career. Most of his NBA career was spent with the Cincinnati Royals where he played alongside Olympic teammate, Oscar Robertson. His greatest years came from 1965-1968 when he averaged over 15 points for four straight years. In 1966 the NBA All-Star game added a new innovation wherein the MVP of the game would be given a new automobile. That was the only time Odie Smith played in the NBA All-Star game and, by scoring 24 points in 26 minutes of court-time, he was voted MVP and made off with a brand new Ford Galaxie 500. After one season in 1972 in the ABA, Smith left pro basketball and started working for a bank in Cincinnati where he did quite well as a banker.
United States