Kenny Smith has been working as an NBA studio analyst for more than two decades now, but many believe it is only a matter of time before he leaves for a coaching or front office job. Smith would agree.
In an interview with Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports this week, Smith said it is “inevitable” that he will one day be running a basketball operations department. He feels the relationships he has built and information he has received over the past 20 years could make him extremely valuable to an NBA franchise.
“It’s inevitable from a basketball standpoint I will be moving on. The consumption and production of information that I’ve received, the way I’m able to relay it, and the relationships, it’s inevitable,” Smith said. “It’s just inevitable … You’re around things. You’re privy to information for 20 years from runners to agents to general managers and owners that no one else has been privy to. No one else. Every team in the league has told me something they’ve told no one else.”
Smith, who is a staple with TNT’s incredibly popular “Inside the NBA” show, did not give a timeline of when he might leave the studio for a front office job. However, he hinted that it could be as soon as next season.
“But after this 22-game thing, then the dust will clear. Because everyone’s not really sure where they are,” Smith said. “They’re thinking, ‘Are we still where we were when we left off? Are we better? Do we have another chance since this is the start of a new season?’ Once that diminishes and goes away, my phone always rings. One day I’m going to answer and they’re going to answer back at the same time … Both parties will say yes.”
Smith has been linked to some high-profile head coaching jobs in the past, but it sounds like a job as a general manager interests him more. The 55-year-old spent 10 seasons in the NBA as a player and won two championships with the Houston Rockets. He has been working for TNT ever since he retired after the 1997 season.
There is obviously a ton of respect for Smith around the NBA, so no one would be surprised if he was hired as an executive or a coach.
