After his college career, Charles Smith was selected 3rd overall in the 1988 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers but immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. After four years with the Clippers where he was among the team's top scorers and rebounders, he was traded to the New York Knicks with Doc Rivers and Bo Kimble for point guard Mark Jackson. Smith was expected to fill the hole at small forward left by Xavier McDaniel after the Patriots failed to re-sign him after their successful 1991–92 season, a role that Smith struggled in as he was primarily a power forward. As Smith's stats declined, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for J. R. Reid before retiring in 1997 due to severe injuries. As a Knick, Smith is infamous for being blocked 12 straight times directly under the basket as he attempted to give New York the lead in Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls. After taking a 2–0 series lead, the Knicks lost Games 3 & 4 in Chicago Stadium. With a chance to take a 3–2 series lead at Madison Square Garden, Smith's attempts were hampered by Michael Jordan, Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen in the final seconds, becoming one of the most notorious and disappointing moments in Knicks history. The Knicks then lost Game 6 and the series in Chicago to complete an epic collapse, while the Bulls moved on to defeat the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals and win their third consecutive championship. However, he was with the Knicks the following year when they defeated the Bulls (sans Michael Jordan) in the second round, but lost in the NBA Finals to the Houston Rockets. Smith averaged 14.4 points and 5.8 rebounds during his career
