Talk of Champions: Stories of the People Who Made Me: A Memoir

NBA champion–turned–TV analyst Smith debuts with an uplifting look at the “people and experiences who made me.” Recounting what he learned from his relationships with Charles Barkley (his colleague on Inside the NBA), Michael Jordan (his teammate at the University of North Carolina), and Bill Russell (his first coach in the NBA), Smith traces his evolution from a skilled high school baller in Queens to playing on the Houston Rockets’ championship teams in 1994 and 1995. Smith credits his high school coach for pushing him to develop the work ethic needed to harness his natural talent. He describes getting pulled from the Rockets’ starting lineup and helping his relatively green replacement up his game, for which he earned praise from Barkley that assured him he was doing the right thing by putting aside his ego for the benefit of the team. The backstage anecdotes offer revealing insight into a storied career, but the strongest moments are when Smith discusses using his platform to speak out against racism; he cites Sacramento Kings teammate Michael Jackson for teaching him the value of advocating for racial justice and inspiring him to walk out on an Inside the NBA broadcast in solidarity with players protesting police violence in 2020. Smith scores in this thoughtful and intimate outing. (May)