On This Date in Sports March 13, 1983: The Streaking Randy Smith
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Randy Smith of the San Diego Clippers plays for minutes and scores four points, in a 111-102 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at Reunion Arena. It was the 906th straight game that Smith played in extending his NBA record. It would be the final game of the steak as he was placed on waivers at his request to sign with a contender. A.C. Green would later top the streak in 1997.
Randy Smith was born on December 12, 1948, in Bellport, New York. After staring at Brookhaven High School on Long Island, Smith went from one end of New York to the other, playing college basketball at Buffalo State. When his professional career began Randy Smith stayed in Western New York as he was drafted by the Buffalo Braves in the seventh round of the 1971 NBA Draft.
Randy Smith defied expectations and made it on the Braves roster, becoming one of the fan favorites at the Memorial Auditorium. During that first year in the NBA, Randy Smith missed just six games, the last of which was on February 15, 1972. The streak began three days later. Smith who was quick and agile, played in two All-Star Games, with the Buffalo Braves in 1976 and 1978. In the 1978 All-Star Game in Atlanta, Smith scored 27 points off the bench and was the named the game’s MVP.
After the 1978/79 season, the Braves set sail from Western New York and became the San Diego Clippers. The streak continued for Randy Smith, as he played all 82 again, for the rebranded Clippers. However, at the end of the 1979/80 season Smith was traded to Cleveland Cavaliers. Randy Smith spent one season with the Cavs, without missing a game before he was traded again, this time to the New York Knicks. After one year with the Knicks, Randy Smith returned to the San Diego Clippers.
As the 1982/83 season began, Randy Smith was just a few games from topping the NBA’s ironman streak of 844 games held by Johnny “Red” Kerr. Kerr spent his career with the Syracuse Nationals as they became the Philadelphia 76ers before finishing his career with the Baltimore Bullets in 1966. Smith had planned to retire at the end of the season and asked to be released so he could sign with a new team. Once that happened and the Clippers played a game on March 15th streak was over. The 906-game streak lasted 11 years and one month. Randy Smith would finish the season with the Atlanta Hawks.
Randy Smith would hold the record for 14 years. The record would be topped in 1997 by A.C. Green while playing with the Dallas Mavericks. Green who spent most of his streak with the Los Angeles Lakers, also spent time with the Phoenix Suns. However, Green’s streak was fraught with chicanery and shenanigans, as he suffered a severe facial fracture in 1995 with the Suns. For the next month, Green played just a minute or two in each game with a mask just to keep the streak alive. A.C. Green would play in 1,192 games. Smith’s streak still ranks second in NBA history.