Two-Time NBA Champion JR Smith is Cleared to Play NCAA Golf

Those of you who are basketball fans, particularly NBA fans, or just a fan of memes, know the name JR Smith. Smith is a two-time NBA champion who was drafted 18th overall way back in 2004. Well, it’s 2021, and he’s going to school for the first time to play golf at North Carolina A&T.

The 35-year old, 16-year NBA veteran skipped college and went straight the the Association as a teenager in 2004, but now, he’s finally going to get the college experience he never had. Smith will officially be a 36 year old freshmen after the NCAA ruled on Tuesday that he is eligible to play on the Aggies golf team.

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“It’s going to be fun,” Smith said. “Obviously different environments from playing in front of 20,000 people to playing in a college golf gallery. But it’s still nerve-wracking as shooting a free throw in front of 5,000 instead of making a 5-foot putt in front of three. So it all correlates the same for me.”

Smith said that North Carolina A&T was the best fit because of his interest in going to a Historically Black College or University, lining up with the NBA’s drive to support HBCUs.

As far as his golf game goes, that really is to be determined. Smith said that he’s been playing for 12 years and has really began to take it seriously. He’s been working hard over the years to improve his game.

“I just know how to compete with myself,” Smith said. “As being a shooter and with golf, it correlates to trying to hit different shots and your creativity, and that swing and try to have that flow and tempo.”

Smith is self taught, which, if he’s as good as he says it is, is very impressive. He was on the receiving end of some pretty nice praise from this guy you made have heard of named Dustin Johnson saying in 2016, “He can play.”

I have a feeling that some people might look at this and say, “Well he’s 36 and has already made millions of dollars playing basketball, why is he taking up a spot on a college golf team?” While those points may be true, you have look at the bigger picture here. This should be an inherent great thing.

It starts with the who and where. The where, being at North Carolina A&T, not exactly a known powerhouse in the NCAA golf landscape. The who being potential new golf fans and the growth of golf at HBCUs.

The Venn diagram of NBA fans and golf fans doesn’t have a ton in the middle. Most people, in general, think that golf is boring. You put a longtime NBA player on a team, and you will have far more press and basketball fans’ attention. I mean come on, when was the last time any of you thought about NC A&T golf? Exactly, never. JR Smith has changed that.

The one thing I’m really interested to see is how this could effect recruiting, not just at NC A&T, but at other HBCUs. Aggies coach Richard Watkins now has a great recruiting tool at his disposal. He can say that he got JR Smith, THE, JR Smith to come play golf for him. That can be a mighty strong message to young, black golfers that you can do it too, you can play, play really well, and go to school for it.

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I understand how some might have some reservations about it, I really do. However, if he goes to class, keeps his nose clean legally, is a positive influence on his young teammates and others in the Greensboro community, I see no downside to Smith being a part of that team. Everybody wins in my opinion.

North Carolina A&T’s first event is on September 24-25 at the Black College Golf Coaches Association Invitational in Newman, Georgia. At that point, we will get our first taste of how much game JR Smith really has. We’ll continue to update his performance as the season rolls on.

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