Russ Smith might not be the most well-known basketball player ever, but his name will be all across headlines after his performance Wednesday.
From 2014-16, Smith played 27 NBA games for the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies and had numerous stints in the D-League, where he set the scoring record with a 65-point performance. Since then, he has made his way to Turkey to play for Galatasaray, and now suits up for Luoyang in China.
Smith has been dominating for his new squad, which plays in China's second-tier basketball league. Via the Courier-Journal:
In five games with Luoyang in the second-tier National Basketball League, the 6-foot Smith is averaging 61 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 3.6 assists. His lowest scoring total in a game so far is 42 points.
In his most recent game, Smith took things to a new level, pouring in 81 points on a quite efficient 25-of-43 shooting that included 10 3-pointers. He also went 21 of 22 from the free-throw line while grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out seven assists and swiping five steals.
Take that, Kobe.