Mavericks' Rookie Leon Smith Admitted To Mental Ward After Overdose

Jet, Dec 6, 1999

Dallas Mavericks forward Leon Smith, 19, recently was admitted to the psychiatric ward of Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas after he overdosed on aspirin, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

A house guest called police late Nov. 14 and said that Smith had thrown a large rock through the window of the guest's Ford Explorer. When officers arrived, they found Smith passed out on his apartment floor with green war paint on his face, a police report stated.

Smith slightly resisted officers and paramedics, then stopped and "stated that he was an Indian and was fighting Columbus," the report said.

The visitor--Carl Bauer, a 33-year-old friend from the group home where Smith was raised--told police Smith had taken more than 250 of the pain relievers. Hospital officials said Smith was in their care but provided no other details.

The 6-10, 235-pound forward entered the NBA draft last summer fresh out of King High School in Chicago. The newspaper reported the 19-year-old has been estranged from his biological parents since he was 5 and has been a ward of the state for the last 14 years.

A week before the incident, the Mavericks placed Smith on injured reserve with a back problem.

"Our only concern is the health and well-being of Leon," said Don Nelson, the Mavericks' coach and general manager, to the newspaper. "The Mavericks are doing what we can to help Leon. We are committed to respecting his privacy and ask that others do the same."