18 Facts About Rik Smits

An NBA All-Star in 1998, Smits reached the NBA Finals in 2000.

Rik Smits left for the United States in 1984, where he played for Marist College for four years.

In 1986, Rik Smits led Marist to the ECAC Metro Conference tournament Championship and advanced to play in their first NCAA tournament in school history.

Rik Smits briefly appeared in the 1988 film Coming to America during a scene filmed in 1987 while Marist played against St John's at Madison Square Garden.

Rik Smits was drafted second overall in the 1988 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers, becoming the first Marist player to play in the NBA.

Rik Smits spent his entire professional career playing for the Indiana Pacers.

Rik Smits was relatively modest by NBA "superstar" standards, but the Dutchman endeared himself to Pacers fans with outstanding playoff performances, most notably in Game 4 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, where he made a buzzer-beating shot to tie the series.

Rik Smits was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team in 1998, delivering ten points, seven rebounds and four assists, including a behind-the-back pass to New Jersey Nets forward Jayson Williams who followed immediately with a slam dunk.

Rik Smits developed nerve damage in his feet from wearing tight shoes as a teenager.

Rik Smits has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and had bone chips removed from his left ankle.

Rik Smits was selected to the Pacers' 40th Anniversary Team, chosen by the fans.

Rik Smits ended up with the fourth most votes, trailing only Reggie Miller, Mel Daniels and Jermaine O'Neal.

Rik Smits played in the 1986 FIBA World Championship and EuroBasket 1987.

In 2008 Rik Smits won the AHRMA Vintage National Premier 500 Intermediate Class riding a BSA 500.

In 1998, near the end of his playing career, Rik Smits bought a home in the Indianapolis suburb of Zionsville, Indiana, and continued to live in the home for nearly 20 years, expanding it in 2014 to include a regulation-size basketball half-court.

Rik Smits used two barns on the 12.5-acre property to house his motorcycles and cars, and built a dedicated motorcycle track in the rear of the property.

Jasmine Rik Smits is currently the Player Relations Coordinator for the Indiana Pacers and the Pacers farm team Indiana Mad Ants.

Rik Smits graduated from Valparaiso in December 2018, taking graduate-level courses in the 2019 spring term to maintain his basketball eligibility; his graduation made him immediately eligible to play at Butler.