Jackie Goldsmith

Goldsmith, who could consistently connect on two-handed shots from 45 feet, might very well be considered the greatest long range set shooter in New York history. He was arrested on July 22, 1951, in connection with the point-shaving scandal that rocked the college basketball world that year. An All-America at LIU (Long Island University) in 1946, he took an active role in fixing LIU games with former teammate Eddie Gard (Gard was the major agent in arranging the throwing of games).

Goldsmith was also involved with Manhattan College fixed games during the same time period. Players from NYU, LIU, Bradley, Kentucky, and the 1950 CCNY team that won both the NIT and NCAA tournament were arrested. In all, 32 players from seven schools were involved in the fixing of 86 games between 1947-1950. Every one of the student players was banned from ever playing professionally in the NBA. Goldsmith was eventually sentenced to 2 1/2 to 4 years in prison for his participation in the scandal.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. Jan. 21, 1921 - d. Feb. 15, 1968

Career Highlights:
Nicknamed the "Brownsville Bomber," Goldsmith played at Jefferson High School in Brooklyn and the Union Temple in the late 1930s before entering the U.S. Army during World War II. Following the war, he joined Long Island University’s basketball team in 1945-46 at the age of 24 as a sharpshooting 5 – 7 – forward. That season, LIU finished 14-9 and Goldsmith was named Helms second team All-America and first team All-Metropolitan, leading LIU and the New York Metropolitan area in scoring. with 395 points (17.2 average). During the year, he set LIU game and season scoring records.

In 1947, Goldsmith helped lead LIU to a 17-3 record and a berth in the NIT (National Invitational Tournament). In one of the Blackbirds' most important games of the year, a 60-54 win over Muhlenberg that earned them an invitiation to the tournament, Goldsmith came off the bench and scored 12 points. In the first round of the NIT, LIU played Kentucky and erased a huge 19-point deficit in the final 15 minutes of the game before running out of steam and losing 66-62. Goldsmith, who started at guard, scored five points in the game.

Following his collegiate career, Goldsmith took his scoring ability to the professional ranks and signed with the Toledo Jeeps of the National Basketball League (NBL). During the 1947-48 season, he appeared in 12 games and scored 46 points. The Jeeps finished the season with a record of 21-23 and in third place in the Eastern Division. They lost in the first round of the playoffs, although Goldsmith did not appear in any playoff games. Among the players on the Jeeps that year were Jewish stars Harry Boykoff amd Julie Rivlin.

Origin:
New York

Career Dates:
Goldsmith played guard at Long Island University from 1945-1947. He then played in the NBL with the Toledo Jeeps, 1947-48.

Physical description:
5'7"