Former Hornets guard Ish Smith joins division rival's front office

The Charlotte, North Carolina native moves into a new chapter of his basketball career.

Jan 14, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Ish Smith (14) dribbles the ball up the court against the Miami Heat during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

After a long, 13-year career in the NBA, former Charlotte Hornets point guard Ish Smith is moving on to the next chapter of his basketball career. According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Smith has been hired by the Washington Wizards as a pro scout.

The Washington Wizards have hired former NBA point guard Ish Smith as a pro scout, team officials said. Smith, who had two stints with the Wizards, played for an NBA-record 13 different teams.
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) October 2, 2024

As mentioned in the above tweet, Smith played for nearly half of the league throughout his career, including two stints with the Hornets. After going undrafted in 2010, the former Wake Forest star signed with the Houston Rockets. He would also go on to play for the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Denver Nuggets. Whew, that's a lot.

For someone who went undrafted to stick around the league for that long says a lot about his toughness and resiliency. All of that hard work came to fruition when he won an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.

"Thirteen long years. Hopefully, my journey inspires people,"Smith said in a video the NBA posted on YouTube. "It's been great. It's been fun. I'm happy for all the guys, the whole team. This is where you come together, a true family, and sacrifice yourself. This is what it's all about. This is what it's all about."

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