Rik Smits, also known as ’’The Dunking Dutchman“, is a Dutch ex-professional basketball player, born on 23rd August 1966 in Eindhoven, Netherlands, known for playing with the Indiana Pacers during his whole career in the National Basketball League(NBL), becoming an NBA All-Star in 1998 and reaching the NBA Finals two years later.
Have you ever wondered how rich Rik Smits is? According to sources it has been estimated that Smits’ overall net worth is $18 million, as of June 2017, accumulated through a 12 years long career, during which he earned several acknowledgments that increased his popularity and net worth.
Rik Smits Net Worth $18 Million
Rik’s interest in basketball surfaced when he was a teenager, so he started playing basketball at a local club in Eindhoven. When it was time to go to college, Smits decided to go to Marist College New York Stae in the US, where he played for four years, being named NEC Player of the Year two years in a row in 1987 and 1988, after which he was selected by the Indiana Pacers, 2nd overall in the 1988 NBA draft. Initially, Rik played as a back up but when one of the players, Steve Stipanovich, suffered an injury he took his place and showed excellent results, and earned All-Rookie First Team honors, a great start to building his net worth.
Smits continued to display notable results, however, it wasn’t until the 1993-94 NBA season that he became a team leader. Thanks to his talent, Rik was considered the second best player in the team all throughout the ’90s, and earned himself even greater popularity after averaging his highest point-per-game in 1995-96 season, at 18.6. His outstanding performaces, most notably in Game 4 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, completely won the hearts of Pacers fans. In 1998, Rik was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, but unfortunately, only a year later, Smits was forced to give up his professional career due to foot problems – he had developed nerve damage in his feet during his teenage years, a problem which followed Rik throughout his career.
At the end of the Pacers’ 1999-2000 season, Smits officially retired and dedicated himself to resolving his health problems. He underwent four surgeries on his feet and one intensive back surgery in addition to a left knee procedure and bone chips removal from his left ankle. Overall, Rik’s basketball career was very fruitful, making him Netherland’s most successful basketball player ever, and best paid professional athlete. He was also chosen in the Pacer’s 40th Anniversary Team, being the fourth voted for by the fans.
Besides his direct career in sports, Rik also appeared in several TV series, both as himself and as an actor, including “The 2000 NBA Finals” (2000), “NBA Hardwood Classics” (2011) and others.
When it comes to his private life, Smits married in 1997 and has two children with his wife Candace. Their son, Derrik, is also a basketball player.
