Eric Smith

On April 17th, 2024 Eric Smith passed away at the age of 20.

A funeral will be held June 25th, 2024 at 8:00 PM EST at the Robloxian Memorial Cemetery. He will be laid to rest at the cemetery following the service. A visitation will be held from 6/12 to 6/19 all day at the Oceanic Chapel by Cedar Memorial.

Born 2001 to Janet and Jared Sterling of Memphis, Tennessee, Eric's life was one of hardship and determination. Growing up his family had a hard time making ends meet, often struggling to pay rent and get groceries. During this time he gained a fondness for basketball, spending a lot of time at the local park playing ball. During school when he was able to attend, he participated in many school sport activiites at Roclford Middle School. His parents were always supportive of his passions especially his father Jared. When in highschool he attempted several times to make Varsity, but never was able to make the cut, this however never deterred his spirit.

While in school at the age of 17 Eric got his first job as a stocker at the local grocery store. In 2018 eric entered a local basketball competition, being place in a team. Eric practiced for this for every day up until the day of the competition. Thanks to his love for the game and all the practice he put in, hemanaged to win the first two matches with an average of 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. His team won 4-3 the first round and 5-2 the second round. At the semifinals however, his team lost the first two games but managed to make it to finals in the end. They won the finals and Eric won away with a prize of $20,000.

At the age of 19 Eric was contacted by officials from the FC Barcelona Bàsquet, wishing him to sign on, of which he did. He played for Barcelona for two years before returning back home. When home he managed to get a spot in the NBA draft, eventually gaining a spot for the Orlando Magic, officially launching his NBA career. During his tenure with the NBA Eric became a one time MVP in 2021, and by 2022 he made it to the all-star playoffs, however he never was able to make it as he tore his ACL that day. This never stopped him and after recovering he kept playing with the NBA.

Links:

Robloxian Memorial Cemetery

Oceanic Chapel