The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We conclude our coverage (for now) by chatting with Bev Smith about being a 2-time Olympian with team Canada and becoming a Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer.
(photo credit: olympic.ca)
At Salmon Arm Secondary School in Canada you helped your team win 89 straight games: did it reach a point where people just expected you to win every time that you stepped onto the court? That was a long time ago! My older sister had played there and they had a tradition of winning. I do not think that people expected us to win: we never talked about winning titles but rather excellence/class/character. The titles just took care of themselves.
In the 1981 AIAW tourney as a player at Oregon you had a 3-PT loss to USC: how much of an advantage did the Trojans have while playing in LA? I still remember that game: I got a couple of quick fouls and ended up fouling out so I was very upset. It might have been a different story if we played somewhere else because we had a talented team.
You were a 2-time All-American: why did you choose the Ducks, and what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? I was playing on the Canadian national team and figured that I could sharpen my pencil a bit more against the competition down in the US. The other reason was that my sister was here and I wanted the opportunity to be her teammate. It was certainly a great honor to be named an All-American but it is a team award as much as an individual award. We played hard and played together: there was not a lot of glamour around women’s college basketball but it was still a special time. It was a combination of teammates/coaches who helped our cause.
You were also a 2-time Academic All-American: how were you able to balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It took a lot of my time/energy because I was still playing with the national team. I would go to writing class at 7:30AM and not come home from a science lab until 9PM: I was just exhausted. My education really changed my life: my professors were brilliant and had a good sense of humor.
You graduated as the school leader in career PTS (2063), REB (1362), AST (443), and STL (349): how were you able to dominate all these different aspects of the game? I loved playing the game. Growing up I wanted to be a hockey player but there was no organized women’s hockey back then so I turned to basketball. I was blessed with great genetics: my dad was a pro hockey player and my mom was a diver/swimmer. I played against the boys and just wanted to be as good as I could be, which drove me. I was 6’1” and a decent athlete: I did not have a lot of hops but had a good understanding of angles/positioning and where the ball would come off the backboard due to my anticipatory skills. My high school coach kept us very fit so I would take advantage when my opponents were grabbing their knees.
You played for team Canada at the Olympics in 1984 and 1996: how close did you come to winning a medal, and how difficult was it to make the team with a 12-year gap in between? In 1984 we played China for the bronze medal. We split with them previously and ended up winning the “lead” medal, which was a little disappointing. We did not qualify for Seoul and then I took a 4-year hiatus to play in Europe. It was tough to come back after 4 years off because the international game had changed a lot. I remember scrimmaging the Australians in 1994 and being amazed by how much they had improved. We did as well as we could in 1996 but I was a little beyond my time at age 36.
You played pro basketball in Italy for 12 years: what is the biggest difference between college basketball and pro basketball? College is more scholastic in nature and college coaches want to have a bit more control and institute structure. In the pros when you are the only foreigner on the team they expect you to be great. If your team wins then the team is great…and if your team loses then it is the Canadian’s fault! I had a great time in Italy and really enjoyed the passion of my teammates. I also learned a lot about fashion/food/wine, which I did not really expect to happen.
In the 2002 Women’s NIT title game as head coach at your alma mater you had a 2-PT win over Houston to clinch the title in your very 1st season: what did it mean to you to win a title? That was pretty special. We got to know our players pretty quickly. They had made several straight NCAA tourneys so it was a little disappointing to not make it back there in 2002, but the next best thing is winning the tourney that you do get invited to.
In 2004 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? That was also very special. My mom did not get to see me play a lot in the US or Italy but it was nice to bring her to Knoxville for that event. It ranks high to be acknowledged for your career. I am now on the board and go back when I can: Pat Summitt was so welcoming to everyone. When you get to meet the women who made the sport happen and the journalists who were writing about us before it became popular it is nice.
You currently work as the Executive Director of KIDSPORTS, a non-profit organization in Oregon that provides youth sports programs for kids and teaches the values of physical fitness and teamwork: how do you like the job, and what have you been able to accomplish so far? I am blessed and honored to work here. Eugene is a special place and we serve more than 13,000 registrants each year. When I go into a meeting and see 200 coaches preparing to teach kids and have compassion it gives me goosebumps. We have worked hard to make our coaches be the best they can be for the children: we provide them with information and education about helping their kids develop both their athletic and human potential. It is very emotional for us and we keep it all about the kids. It is okay to try to win but not if you compromise all the valuable life lessons. We are in the process of getting a building because so many schools are getting closed.