Dorian Finney-Smith Reunites With His Father After Almost 30 Years

The 19th of December was a momentous day for Dorian Finney-Smith and the rest of his family, as his father, Elbert Smith, was released from prison after almost 30 years. When Elbert exited the Greensville Correctional Center in Virginia on Tuesday, father and son embraced each other for the first time since Dorian was a toddler.

“He’s here for Christmas; that’s what matters,” Finney-Smith told the Dallas Morning News. “This is the best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten. Besides the births of my kids, this is up there with the best days I’ve ever had."

The Brooklyn Nets understandably granted him the day off to meet his father, but it's Finney-Smith's former team, the Dallas Mavericks, who deserve all the praise in the world for making this possible. It was revealed in July earlier this year that the Mavericks had helped Finney-Smith's father get out of prison.

Mark Cuban, GM Nico Harrison, and other franchise leaders had provided written testimonials during Smith's hearing, where they vouched for Finney-Smith's character. Harrison and Jason Lutin, chief of staff at Mark Cuban Companies, were with Finney-Smith during the hearing while his former head coach Rick Carlisle was present virtually. 

Another individual who played a big role in this whole process was former Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore. Kilgore took the case pro bono and helped lay out the plan to the board at the parole hearing regarding how the family proposes to assimilate Elbert into society. For now, he will be staying in one of the spare bedrooms of the house that Finney-Smith had purchased for his mother, Desiree, in Chesapeake, Va.

Why Elbert Smith Was Sent To Prison

Elbert Smith first landed himself in trouble when he was arrested and convicted for the distribution of cocaine. While that obviously wasn't great, worse was yet to come.

On January 25, 1995, Smith and Diefen McGann attempted to collect a debt from Willie Anderson II. They both had a gun on them and when Anderson attempted to secure McGann's gun, Smith lunged toward him with a knife. 

It led to Anderson letting go, but McGann then fired three shots at him, which caused his death. A year later, McGann accepted a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter and a five-year prison sentence. The same deal was given to Smith, but his court-appointed attorney suggested he turn it down, as he hadn't fired the shots.

It proved to be a massive mistake, as in the trial, a jury convicted Smith of second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and use in commission of a firearm. He was sentenced to prison for 44 years and had it not been for the efforts of the Mavericks and Kilgore, he'd have still been behind bars.

You really have to applaud the Mavericks for going out of their way to help out. Finney-Smith had spent six and a half seasons with the franchise from 2016 to 2023, during which he averaged 8.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game.

You often hear about teams viewing players simply as assets and not caring about them as individuals, but the Mavs certainly cannot be accused of that. Finney-Smith will forever be grateful for what they've done for him and his family.