Rik Smits was a great center who spent his entire career with the Indiana Pacers. Do you think that his jersey should be sent to the rafters? He was the second overall pick in 1988. His career numbers are 14.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 26.6 minutes per game. He was in the 1998 All Star game in which he scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in 21 minutes. I think his jersey should most definitly be retired.
I didn't see him play but considering his minutes per game and stats,he seemed to be a great 6th man.(Wasn't he a starter later in his career) Imo his jersey shouldn't be retired as he didn't help the Pacers to a title,also he wasn't a franchise player.
He was much more then a 6th man. He started 792 out of 867 games in his career. Rik Smit's Player Profile
He didn't really do much with the Pacers. He was basically living off Reggie Miller double-teams. He is great and all as a foreign player but what he did is barely enough for his number to be retired.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">He didn't really do much with the Pacers. He was basically living off Reggie Miller double-teams. He is great and all as a foreign player but what he did is barely enough for his number to be retired.</div> What? Smits will never be forgotten in Indy and his # should be retired. It's not like he is being placed in the hall of fame. I was a good above average center for a long time that played for that organization his whole career and he deserves it, highly.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I was a good above average center for a long time that played for that organization his whole career and he deserves it, highly.</div> You're Rik Smits? No wonder you want #45 to be retired. Being above average doesn't mean your number should be retired. 14/6 are not the type of numbers that grant your number's retirement.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">You're Rik Smits? No wonder you want #45 to be retired. Being above average doesn't mean your number should be retired. 14/6 are not the type of numbers that grant your number's retirement.</div> It's called busting your @zz for your whole career and not ever complaining about the $ your recieving. He dedicated himself to this francise and that's why the people in Indy love him and would want him to be up there. Everything isn't always about the numbers, now a days it is but not back then. You put Smits in this league that we have now and he'd be a repeat all-star for the eastern conference (not like that's saying much) but still shows that he had major competition every night back then. Hakeem, Shaq, Admiral, Parrish, Deke, and so on.
He should have his number retired. I watched him for a couple years while Larry Bird was couching the team and he was a good center. He did work have and he did put forth a lot of effort. I say lets see number 45 in the rafters.
