Bingo Smith
A sharpshooting fan favorite whose clutch shooting and iconic headband helped define the early, gritty identity of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
1946–2023 (age 77)·American basketball player·Birthday: February 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Robert 'Bingo' Smith, a silky-smooth forward with a deadeye jumper, arrived in Cleveland via the San Diego Rockets and became part of the Cavaliers' foundational soul. In an era before the team's later superstars, Smith was a constant, a reliable scorer and a defensive presence whose nickname reportedly came from the satisfying 'Bingo!' sound of his shot hitting net. He played nine seasons in Cleveland, embodying the hard-nosed 'Miracle of Richfield' team that captured the city's heart in 1976. While his career stats are solid, his impact was cultural; his familiar headband and calm demeanor under pressure made him a beloved figure, and his number 7 was eventually retired to the rafters, a testament to his role in building Cavaliers basketball.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bingo was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bingo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Bingo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2023Died at 77
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Had his jersey number 7 retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the first players to receive the honor from the franchise.
- Played a key role on the 1975-76 'Miracle of Richfield' Cavaliers team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage during the 1981-82 season, the first year the statistic was officially tracked.
- Ranks among the Cleveland Cavaliers' all-time leaders in games played, points, and field goals made.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Bingo' was supposedly given by a college sportswriter impressed by his shooting accuracy.
He was known for always wearing a distinctive white headband during games.
He hit the first official three-point basket in Cleveland Cavaliers history in October 1979.
After his NBA career, he worked for the Cavaliers organization in community relations.
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