Duke’s Nolan Smith Dedicates NCAA Championship to His Late Father

By admin
Apr 06, 2010
4:28 pm

Nolan Smith of the Duke Blue Devils carried his father’s championship ring with him throughout the entire NCAA tournament. Smith’s late father, Derek Smith, was a star player on the University of Louisville team that won the 1980 NCAA championship. Last night, Smith was able to dedicate his NCAA championship ring to his late father after Duke beat Butler to capture the 2010 title.

Smith scored 13 points in the championship game and led Duke in scoring throughout the tournament, averaging 18.6 points per game. An NBA prospect, Smith has worked tirelessly throughout his collegiate career to carry on his father’s legacy.

Smith’s father was a college superstar and played nine years in the NBA. But in 1996, he died after having a heart attack while on a cruise ship. Nolan was only 8 years old.

However, Nolan has ensured that his father will never be forgotten. With last night’s victory, Nolan and Derek Smith became just the third father-son tandem to win an NCAA championship. –amir shaw