HBCU Golf: NBA Champion J.R. Smith is a NC A&T Freshman Golfer with Academic Honors

Retired NBA champion J.R. Smith is a freshman golfer at NC A&T, and is proving how to succeed in the classroom and golf courses.

Retired NBA champion J.R. Smith is a freshman golfer at NC A&T, and is proving how to succeed in the classroom and golf courses.

The NBA Playoffs are now in full swing. The remaining teams are battling each other tooth and nail.

They aren’t giving an inch as each team wants to win the National Basketball Association Championship.  A few months ago, I coined the expression, “records can be broken, but championships can’t.”

Some players have set records but have not won championships. They have set records but don’t have a championship with great respect to other players.

On the other hand, players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Robert “Big Shot Bob” Horry have records and championships.  Two of the championships won by LeBron James were with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. He shared those championships with J. R. Smith.

Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after beating the Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

J.R. Smith was an NBA player for sixteen years. That’s a long time. He played for the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets in addition to the Cavaliers and the Lakers.

J. R. Smith was a prolific player. He was drafted out of high school with the 18th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft. He also received the Sixth Man of the Year trophy in 2013.

J.R. Smith retired in 2020. At his age and savings, the world was his oyster, maybe several oysters.

With the many choices he had available to him, what would the next chapter of his life look?  Many retired professional basketball players have gone into coaching. Don Chaney (Houston Rockets) and Avery Johnson (Dallas Mavericks) come quickly to mind.

Smith chose the road not frequently traveled by many professional athletes.  His road led him to enroll at North Carolina A&T State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Greensboro, NC.

According to those who know, he was encouraged to go to college by Ray Allen, who went to college at the University of Connecticut. He later played professional basketball with the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.

Sep 4, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Former NBA player J.R. Smith looks on from the 3rd hole during the third round of the Tour Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

Smith gave us who reside in the public square a glimpse of his college life through tweets.

Here are a few of them:

• “Joined a study group for my African American Studies class on #groupie, and my classmates don’t think it’s me.”
• “Man, I’ve been eating junk food my whole life, and now I got to quit cause I’m learning about nutrition in my #FCS class. African Americans especially have to cut out so much fast food and sugar in our diets. Diabetes rate is way too high and going higher.”
• “Is it natural to switch majors? Just asking.”

These tweets are genuine and speak volumes about his seriousness in his academic pursuits.

As new students, we had multiple questions back in the day, and our curiosity ran rampant. The college experience, no matter the era, is just different.

Sep 4, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Former NBA player J.R. Smith looks on from the 2nd hole during the third round of the Tour Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

J. R. Smith wanted to play golf at NC A&T State University. His appeal to the NCAA was approved.

Not only was he on the golf team, but Smith was also named North Carolina A&T’s Academic Athlete of the Year. He earned a 4.0 GPA and is pursuing a liberal arts degree.

All of the applause, accolades, and achievements have been a part of the basketball life of J.R. Smith.  He is now achieving in the classroom with a new set of teammates and challenges. His three-point shot on the court is now an A in the classroom.

We are happy and excited for him. This is a great story.

Let’s toast him by raising a book in honor of J.R. Smith.

Cheers!