J.R. Smith has added another accomplishment to his extravagant career.
On April 25, North Carolina A&T named Smith the school’s academic athlete of the 2021-22 year. Smith maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout the year.
“YESSIR, @TheRealJRSmith!!” NBA superstar LeBron James tweeted. “Proud of you, kid!! Love, bro.”
YESSIR @TheRealJRSmith!! Proud of you Kid!!! Love bro https://t.co/gqwOLnlcdw
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 26, 2022
James played with Smith and won two championships with the former shooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. Smith, now 36, enrolled at North Carolina A&T once his professional basketball career slowed down. He joined the school’s golf team, participating in another sport he’s passionate about. Through the Name, Image and Likeness deal, Smith was still allowed to be the face of endorsements while remaining eligible with the NCAA.
“My academics are extremely important to me,” Smith said on “SportsCenter” in February of 2022.
Smith went to the NBA in 2004 straight out of high school.
Throughout the academic year, Smith has tweeted about the challenges he’s faced in various classes and homework assignments. He’s also served as an ambassador for North Carolina A&T and HBCUs while earning his degree.
“Make this as big a story as it deserves to be,” ESPN reporter Justin Tinsley tweeted. “Salute, @TheRealJRSmith. HBCUs change lives.”
On Smith’s social media, photos of him reading From the Browder File: 22 Essays on the African American Experience, wearing a Black Lives Matter hoodie and a Public Service Announcement to boycott “Chappelle’s Show” in protest against streaming services. Dave Chappelle himself requested supporters not watch the show until he received his rightful percentage from streaming services.
During Smith’s February “SportsCenter” appearance he left no doubt he chose an HBCU intentionally.
“It gives me more liberty to speak on the things I chose to speak on and what I’m really passionate about,” Smith said. “One of those things are HBCU schools and golf. Obviously, [HBCUs] are not afforded as many resources as other schools, so being able to use my platform, my voice, being able to take my english classes seriously, writing my papers seriously, I’m able to reach out and really express myself in an intellectual way. People don’t just look at me as J.R. Smith the basketball player. When they see Earl J. Smith on that english paper, liberal studies paper, or African-American studies paper, they don’t know who J.R. Smith is.”
He said going to college among the general student population, where he admits he sticks “out like a sore thumb,” is the best achievement in his professional career.
“If I can make a positive impact on minorities, young African-Americans to try to go back to school and better themselves, to educate themselves, that’s one thing no one can ever take away from me,” Smith said. “I’m really excited about that and I’m proud of myself about that. A lot of kudos of that goes to my tutors, guidance counselors and people who stayed on me even when I wanted to give up sometimes on writing papers.”
