“When he didn’t get drafted, Mark Cuban called him himself,” Desiree said.
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He then went undrafted, but signed as a free agent with the Mavericks. Their relationship continued even as each went their separate ways.įinney-Smith went to Virginia Tech before transferring to Florida. His dream has become his reality, and he’s living it now.”
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He is always positive and always believes the glass is half full versus half empty. But the one thing about Dorian that has remained consistent throughout the years that I have known him is his work ethic and his belief in his craft. We were in the hallway after lunch, and he told everyone to vote for me,” she said. “And with me having a brother and who he was, I already kind of had a name because of Ben.”Ĭarter, who also was the class valedictorian, remembers it well. “She was quiet,” said Finney-Smith, a two-time All-Tidewater Player of the Year who led Norcom to back-to-back Group AAA, Eastern Region and Eastern District titles. It also helped that he was the younger brother of former Norcom two-sport star Ben Finney, a former All-Tidewater selection in both basketball and football. The two formed a friendship and when Carter ran for senior class president, he jumped at the change to help her. “We laugh about it now because it was destined for me to sit right next to her.” “First day of class, I sat right beside her,” Finney-Smith said. They met in their honors World History class. In a released statement, Cuban, the star of a television show, said, “I look forward to being with Dorian in his hometown to help celebrate with his foundation for the great work they do to impact the community every year and to recognize great business and community leaders of the Hampton Roads community.”įinney-Smith and Carter’s friendship goes back to their freshmen year at Norcom. And anything they ever ask me to do, I do it.”
And his people said he would love to do it just because I don’t really ask for nothing. It was Erin and Ben who said, ‘We’re just going to ask.’ And they asked. “I didn’t think people would want to support it. I’m just so low-key and I don’t ask anybody for nothing,” said Finney-Smith, 29. Upon hearing that, Finney-Smith was floored. Not just Cuban, but the Mavericks’ front-office staff and coaches are expected to come as well. They said, ‘With all the work does in the community, that’s the least we could do. “Dorian didn’t believe that Mark Cuban would show up to Norfolk,” Carter said with a chuckle.” We got on the phone with Mark Cuban’s team and it wasn’t even a hard sell. She suggested Dorian’s boss, Mark Cuban.Ĭuban isn’t just the owner of the Mavericks, but a billionaire entrepreneur, television personality and media proprietor. She wanted to bring in a powerful keynote speaker for the first one. “But Erin got on it, she did it, and it just took off.”
“Erin has always been saying, ‘Guys, we need to step it up and lets do this black tie event.’ And I was like, ‘No’ because I was scared,” Desiree said. will host its inaugural Black Tie Gala at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott.įinney-Smith’s mother, Desiree, had her doubts. So, on July 29, the Finney-Smith Foundation Inc. They were going to do it a couple of years ago, but then COVID happened.Ĭarter insisted they try it again this year. “And I was like, ‘Yes, people are going to show up for you.’”
“Dorian was like, ‘You think people are going to show up for me?,” said Carter, who is a board member for the Finney-Smith Foundation Inc.