Nolan Smith is an American former professional basketball paper who is currently the director of operations and player development for the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team. Smith got interested in basketball due to his father, former NBA player Derek Smith, who was assistant coach to the Washington Bullets from 1994. Tragically, however, Smith’s father died only two years after accepting the role, and the young man was a guest at the home games, being supported by the team. This camaraderie encouraged Smith to seek out more opportunities to play the sport; at Riverdale Baptist School Smith averaged 16 points, six rebounds, eight assistants and three steals per game as he led Riverdale to a 33-1 record and earned All-Metro honors. Smith would continue to uphold this streak earning first-team EA Sports and Parade All-American honors, as well as the McDonald’s All-American Honors.

This trailblazing success in the sport led to Smith being listed as the No. 8 shoot guard in the nation, and would see Smith go on to team captain for the Duke University with fellow senior Kyle Singler, with Smith being known for his passion and energy, even in tight, difficult situations. Smith would go on to pursue a professional career in Basketball, playing all over the world from Turkey to Croatia, and has coached the Duke Blue Devils as a special assistant since 2016.