I never had the pleasure of covering Randy Smith of the Buffalo Braves, but I had the extreme pleasure of watching him play.  As a teenager in Buffalo in the early 1970s, the fact that a Buff State product had been drafted by the hometown NBA team was something that we all got excited about. But Randy did much more than that.

He worked his way into the starting lineup in arguably the NBA’s most exciting team of the mid 1970s.  With his blinding speed and quick hands, he was one of the league’s best defenders every year.  Although he wasn’t a great outside shooter, he was quick enough to find his shot, and his dunking ability was spectacular.  I will always remember the roar in the Aud when Randy got loose on a fast break and soared toward the basket on his way to a thunderous slam.

For those of us wh0 loved the Braves, Randy was the glue that held the team together. McAdoo was a point machine, Ernie D was a flashy ballhandler, and Jim McMillian was the veteran leader. Randy was the all-around performer who could be counted on for a consistent performance night after night.

By 1978, I was a senior at Syracuse University, and even though I still loved the Braves, it was obvious the team was not going to be around Buffalo much longer.  That’s what made Randy’s performance in the 1978 All Star game that much more gratifying.  His MVP performance was the last gasp of a beloved franchise that could have been so much more, if only ownership gave it a chance. 

I’ve been in a Braves frame of mind for the last week or so, ever since I interviewed my former college classmate Tim Wendel about his new book “Buffalo-Home of the Braves.”  I’m about halfway through the book now, and plan on finishing it off in the next few days.  Look for a story on News 4 at Six next week on Tim’s book, and get ready for the Braves memories to flow.

Any memories of Randy Smith or the Braves you’d like to share?  Drop us a line.