Derek Ervin Smith is considered by many to be one of the greatest Louisville basketball players of all-time. He was a token stat-stuffer and contributor during his time at the university, meanwhile winning a National Title in Indianapolis, IN in 1980 and earned the heralded Metro Conference Player of the Year in ’81. Many folks to this day even credit Smith with coining the phrase “high five.”
Smith was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors and ended up spending nine years in the league with five different teams, scoring over 5,000 points along the way.