Stan Smith

Long before he became one of the biggest names in footwear, Stan Smith dazzled on the tennis court.

Smith, 77, is a tennis hall of famer who won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the early 1970s and was once ranked as the world’s No. 1 tennis player. He grew up in California but has lived for more than 50 years in Hilton Head, S.C., where he remains very active in the community and in his Smith Stearns Tennis Academy.

But if you’re not a tennis fan, what you likely know Stan Smith for is the iconic Adidas shoe that bears his name — a classic white leather shoe with green trim around the heel that also includes his likeness and signature. In fact, the name of his 2018 book was: “Stan Smith — Some people think I’m a shoe.”

Smith is much more than a shoe, though, and LeBron James’ production company recently made a documentary about him. We traveled to the S.C. coast to talk to him in the latest episode of “Sports Legends of the Carolinas.”

Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends.

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