Charitable Work
Smith is well known for his charitable pursuits, including a USD 2.5 million gift in 1997 to his alma mater, Michigan State University, where he was a star guard under coach Jud Heathcote. Smith's donation helped to fund the Clara Bell Smith Student Athlete Academic Center, which is named for his mother. This was the largest single donation by a professional athlete to his former school in history.
Smith insisted that part of his $2.5 million donation be dedicated to create the Steve Smith Scholarship for Academic Achievement. In 2001, Smith donated another $600,000 to fully endow the scholarship, which provides a four-year academic scholarship to one student per year from Smith's former high school.
In recognition for his generosity, during the 1997-98 NBA season, Smith received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, and in 2001–02 received the Joe Dumars NBA Sportsmanship Award.
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