Third-time retirement will certainly spell game-over for popular former Cairns Taipan Matt Smith.
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FORMER NBL centre Matt Smith loves having a joke at his own expense.
After a few attempts, the veteran big man will finally call time for good on his basketball career after the 2018 QBL season. Smith spoke to Jordan Gerransabout the highs and lows of his career.
Firstly, how many retirements is this and can you confirm this will be your last hurrah?
This is number three — everyone gets three, right? It’s definitely it this time, for a variety of reasons the other few times it wasn’t completely my decision, but this is all me. I just can’t stay on the floor anymore. My contention is that a lot of it has to do with the all of the damn running required. Plus I’m dealing with kids in the their late teens, early 20s, some of them, I have been playing longer than they have been alive. I haven’t played since May and I just don’t heal like I used to. What I thought would be a two or three week injury has stuck around for nine and there are a lot of miles on my body. I’m turning 40 next year, its certainly time. When I first decided to have another crack at it, Tim Lowcock from Cairns Total Physio was working on trying to put something of mine back together, I think it was a shoulder, and he asked my daughters if they were excited to see me play again. my youngest replied “no, because he will get hurt.”
You have provided your Facebook friends almost daily updates on stages of your career since declaring 2018 would be your final season. Has it been nice reminiscing?
It’s been fun, what we don’t admit to ourselves in the moment, but what is patently true, is that professional sport is pretty ridiculous and being the very definition of mediocre makes the experience even more bizarre. Literally it is grown men being paid to chase around an inflated piece of leather and throw it through a hoop. Its nuts. Fun as hell, but completely irrational. In the end it’s the little moments that I tend to remember and I think that’s what I will miss the most and that’s what the posts are about; the absurdity of the sport and those times that only teammates and people in the moment will be aware of. Since I started I’ve had former teammates, coaches and opponents reach out to me and say they enjoy the posts, or it sparks conversation between old guys. I’m grateful that It’s been really well received by the basketball community.
Looking back at your career, who was the best player you either played with or against and what stood out about them?
Wow, I got beat by so many players. Its hard to choose just one. There have been five that were so good I thought, “well this is just pointless. I’m just hoping they miss.” In no order: Chris Anstey, a three man trapped in a 7’1 hyper athletic body; Yi Jianlian, schooled me in China so badly I wanted to quit; Lamar Odom — everything about playing him sucked; Nate Jawai — a lot rims were replaced because I couldn’t stop Nate dunking; Elton Brand — I held him to 35 points as a rookie, I like to think I gave him the confidence to be great.
Obviously you have made the comeback in 2018, do you feel you have gotten out of the season what you were searching for?
There was a bit going on in my life and I had kind of lost my way a little, a lot of athletes struggle with mental health issues when it is all over and I had slipped a little. So, to break the funk I started toying with the idea of playing again. Basketball, the games, the trainings, the diets, the gym — it all focuses me and creates an environment with the kind of discipline I need to be better at everything else; and you know what? It worked. Another part of it was just “can I do it?” I’m nearly 40, I have been doing this for a long time and my body is pretty beat up, but some people who I have a lot of time for basically told me that it’s my last shot and I may as well see what happens. It’s the best decision I have ever made. Injuries aside, I’ve had a great time this year. Before the season started Cairns Marlins coach Jamie O’Loughlin met me for lunch and basically asked the same question, neither of us really had any idea if I would be able to compete at that level or even stay on the floor. But I am really thankful to him for taking a shot on me anyway and letting me do this. That answer was a bit deeper than I had initially intended, but there you go, great question Jordan.
Of the teams you played on, which year or team do you think had the most talented roster?
For the Taipans, ’05-06 was our year. Martin Cattalini was in his prime and so was Darnell Mee, Gary Boodnikoff had a breakout year, we had an import five in Chris Burgess who was legit. Anthony Stewart was still getting it done we had solid back ups in Aaron Grabau, Melvin Thomas, Kane Oakley and Nathan Crosswell. It was a really balanced group.
How have you seen the Cairns Marlins 2018 campaign so far?
From the bench while injured (see what I did there?), I’ve been encouraged by it, with exception of Jarrad Prior and I, it’s a bunch of kids born in the mid ’90s. I have clothing older than some members of this team. Jamie has a vision for what he wants the team to be and the guys have bought in but given the high turnover of players from last year, something like that, it doesn’t just happen immediately. This season is as much for now as it is for the future — there are players in that locker room right now who will have 10-year careers either at this level or the next one up and right now they are getting valuable reps. They are learning to play essentially without a safety net, its going to be so important for their development. Basketball takes some time to really understand, most players will be in their late 20s by the time they finally get a handle on it. These guys still have a few years of learning to do, their bodies will mature more as well. At 27 or 30 an NBL player has 10 years of hard lifting in the gym where as a 23-year-old might only have two or three, its that kind of thing that just takes time, it can’t be hurried up, it is literally just reps. I am excited for these guys though, being young with all that promise and their careers out in front of them, every week getting to test the limit of their powers, going away learning something new and doing it all again. It’s so inspiring to watch.
Looking ahead, what are your thoughts on the Taipans new era under Mike Kelly?
I know a lot of the guys are excited to play for him. Mike had done the hard yards and came to the NBL through the state leagues which is really hard for an import to successfully do, so he knows the grind. I liked what I read about him adjusting his offence to suit his players. If you look at coaches like Greg Popovich and Mike Kryszewlski they adjust their offences and philosophies to maximise the talents of their groups. If that is the direction that Mike is taking then I think that is a really encouraging sign, and guys are going to want to play in a system that allows them to be the best version of themselves.
You would know Kelly well from his playing days but what are your impressions as a coach?
Mike ’s amazing, I challenge you to find anyone in the league past or present to say anything snarky about him … it literally can’t be done. I never played with him, but I have a lot of friends who did and they honestly can’t speak highly enough of him. He has done the hard yards, really put in the work with guys like Shawn Dennis at Townsville and Dean Vickerman at Melbourne, incidentally two coaches who I really respect and have great pedigree; he did his apprenticeship with some of the best. I really think he will be a player’s coach, someone who the group will really want to play for. Mike was a phenomenally tough player, but he never crossed the line, never cheap or dirty — just hard. I think he’ll be great.
How have you found your courtside announcing role you have done with the Taipans?
I really like it, partly because I get to see everyone. Though my generation is basically finished, I think Mika Vukona and Nate Jawai are the only guys I played with still going. But every team has someone I’m keen to catch up with (coach, player and general manager) and have a quick chat to before the game. It’s really nice to still be involved and I get to polish the legend a little bit.
What was it like being on the AND1 tour? They were huge back in the day.
And 1 was nuts, we played in front of some of the largest basketball crowds in Australian history, it was less of a game and more of an exhibition, the rules were adjusted to ensure maximum highlights, you had to be within arms length of your opponent when they had the ball. People familiar with how I play basketball would be aware that me up and in on a guard is pretty much a recipe for disaster. But it all kind of made sense.
Matt Smith
The charismatic Smith played 116 NBL games in the 2000s and was part of the Snakes side that came within one conversation of pulling the pin in the 2008/09 season.
Smith is the Taipans’ record holder for blocked shots.
He will call time on his basketball career when the Marlins are finished their 2018 QBL season. His last game in Cairns may be tonight against Sunshine Coast Phoenix depending on playoff outcomes.
Career
Juniors — Sale Sonics
1996 — Geelong Supercats, training player on school holidays alongside former Taipan Aaron Grabau
1997 — North Melbourne Giants as a training player
1998-99 — Fairfield University CT
1999-00 — Wollongong Hawks
2000-2003 — Lander University SC
2003-04 — Victoria Giants
2004-05 — NZ Breakers
2005-09 — Cairns Taipans
2009-13 — Couch
2013-15 — Cairns Marlins
2016-2017 — Couch again
2018 — Cairns Marlins
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