{"id":22372,"date":"2021-09-17T01:14:44","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T06:14:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=22372"},"modified":"2021-09-17T01:14:44","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T06:14:44","slug":"earl-joseph-j-r-smith-iii-a-champion-a-great-person-a-future-pga-golfer-is-live-tweeting-his-college-experience-j-r-smiths-hbcu-journey-is-a-shining-example-of-black-excellence-the-fo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=22372","title":{"rendered":"Earl Joseph &#8220;J. R.&#8221; Smith III, A CHAMPION, A GREAT PERSON, A FUTURE PGA GOLFER,  Is Live Tweeting His College Experience,  J.R. Smith&#8217;s HBCU journey is a shining example of Black excellence, The former NBA guard has been posting about his first-year experiences at HBCU North Carolina A&#038;T"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"collection-headline-flex\" role=\"presentation\">\n<h1>J.R. Smith&#8217;s HBCU journey is a shining example of Black excellence<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"Modelinfo\">\n<div class=\"authorinfo-flexar\">\n<div class=\"authortime-info\">\n<div class=\"authorname-txt\" data-id=\"59\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:59,&quot;p&quot;:55,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;authorName&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:&quot;name&quot;,&quot;o&quot;:4}\"><span class=\"truncate\" title=\"Shalise Manza Young\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22145\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/jrs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"299\" height=\"168\" \/><\/span><time datetime=\"2021-09-16T21:20:19.000Z\" data-always-show=\"true\"><br \/>\n<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div id=\"maincontent\">\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"content\">\n<article class=\"articlecontent allowvig loaded\" data-id=\"69\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:69,&quot;p&quot;:66,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;article&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:6,&quot;o&quot;:3}\" data-nativead-placements=\"article_aside:3;singlecard1:1;singlecard2:1;singlecard3:1;singlecard4:1;singlecard5:1;singlecard6:1;singlecard7:1;singlecard8:1;singlecard9:1;singlecard10:1;singlecard11:1;\">\n<section class=\"flexarticle\" data-id=\"70\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:70,&quot;p&quot;:69,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;flexarticle&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:6,&quot;o&quot;:1}\">\n<section class=\"articlebody \" data-id=\"71\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:71,&quot;p&quot;:70,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;articlebody&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:6,&quot;o&quot;:1}\"><strong>J.R. Smith is a two-time NBA champion and a former Sixth Man of the year who earned millions of dollars over the course of his 16 seasons.When he retired after his second title, with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, he could have done just about anything. Smith had enjoyed a long basketball career, had picked up a serious love of golf, and presumably had the means to travel the world pursuing that passion.<\/strong><strong>Instead, the 36-year-old, who jumped straight from Newark&#8217;s famed St. Benedict&#8217;s Prep to the NBA, entered college.<\/strong><strong>And not just any college, the largest HBCU in the country: North Carolina A&amp;T.<\/strong><strong>What&#8217;s more, <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/ncaa-approves-jr-smith-play-college-golf-north-carolina-at-212924681.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"74\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:74,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:3}\">he joined the Aggies golf team<\/a>.<\/strong><strong>Best of all for the rest of us, <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"75\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:75,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:4}\">he&#8217;s basically live-tweeting<\/a> his experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p><strong>75\/75 African History Quiz <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0JwMUM2uSK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"76\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:76,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:5}\">pic.twitter.com\/0JwMUM2uSK<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1438511452394954753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"77\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:77,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:6}\">September 16, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Smith doesn&#8217;t have to do this, not the tweeting part. Of course there would have been news headlines that a former NBA player had decided to enter college and got clearance to become a student-athlete at age 36, maybe a few reporters showing up at A&amp;T&#8217;s first tournament in Georgia on Sept. 24-25 to check out the unconventional freshman with one of the finest sets of clubs on the college circuit.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>But taking us along for the ride and opening himself up is admirable. Of course Smith has been ridiculed by some, but that&#8217;s unfortunately part of Twitter.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>There are fun moments, like Smith saying he&#8217;s getting North Carolina fast-food chicken staple <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1434896851212324865?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"78\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:78,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:7}\">Bojangles delivered<\/a> when another student laments that the Chick-Fil-A on campus has a late opening, or making <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/maxxi_siada\/status\/1435317245530546179?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"79\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:79,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:8}\">an endorsement video<\/a> for a student running for campus government, but it&#8217;s also a window into what it&#8217;s like to start college as an adult and seeing everything through older and more worldly eyes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Smith is also offering a glimpse at how large swaths of the American school system have <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1433878246769119233?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"80\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:80,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:9}\">neglected to teach<\/a> the true history of this country, as <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1433964725931581446?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"81\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:81,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:10}\">when Smith noted<\/a> that <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1433965153293422596?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"82\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:82,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:11}\">the maps and globes<\/a> used in many schools show North America as being the same size as Africa when in reality Africa is larger, or that Christopher Columbus &#8220;found&#8221; America when it was already inhabited.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Beyond all of that, Smith is inspiring many. The actress Holly Robinson Peete <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hollyrpeete\/status\/1432411966715228164?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"83\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:83,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:12}\">has tweeted<\/a> that Smith&#8217;s posts are &#8220;seriously encouraging&#8221; her to follow through on her desire to get a master&#8217;s degree, and another of <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1434906483754512385?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"84\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:84,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:13}\">his followers<\/a> said if he goes back to finish his degree, Smith&#8217;s experiences will be the reason (&#8220;You should for sure do it!,&#8221; <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1434906483754512385?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"85\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:85,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:14}\">Smith responded<\/a>. &#8220;Love being around the younger generation learning a lot from them&#8221;).<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>After some first-week stumbles before he arrived on campus from Los Angeles (&#8220;I have to learn to do a better job at taking notes,&#8221; <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1432162443615080449?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"86\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:86,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:15}\">he lamented<\/a>. &#8220;For some reason I have a hard time on what&#8217;s important information. I mean to me it all seems important.&#8221;), Smith has gotten himself a tutor and seems to be cruising.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"storyimage fullwidth inlineimage\" data-aop=\"image\"> <span class=\"image\" data-attrib=\"Provided by Yahoo! Sports\" data-caption=\"J.R. Smith smiles at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ben Jared\/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)\" data-id=\"72\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:72,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;openModal&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:&quot;articleImages&quot;,&quot;o&quot;:1}\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAOwBng.img?h=532&amp;w=799&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=462&amp;y=193\" alt=\"J.R. Smith smiles at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ben Jared\/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;80&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;53&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAOwBng.img?h=532&amp;w=799&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=462&amp;y=193&quot;},&quot;size3column&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;62&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;42&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAOwBng.img?h=416&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=462&amp;y=193&quot;},&quot;size2column&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;62&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;42&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAOwBng.img?h=416&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=462&amp;y=193&quot;}}\" \/> <\/span> <span class=\"caption truncate\">\u00a0J.R. Smith smiles at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.\u00a0 <\/span> <\/span>In recent days he&#8217;s reported getting all 75 questions correct on two African American history quizzes and he wants to be on the <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncat.edu\/registrar\/student-info\/deans-chancellors-lists.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"87\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:87,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:16}\">Chancellor&#8217;s List<\/a>, which at A&amp;T means a 3.75 GPA or better for a semester.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>He&#8217;s even floated the idea of going beyond earning a bachelor&#8217;s.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Dr. Earl Joseph Smith III, has a dope ring to it! A hell of a long way to go but not impossible. One day at a time!&#8221; he tweeted earlier this month.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>With the<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/ncataggies.com\/sports\/mens-golf\/roster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"88\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:88,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:17}\"> six-man golf team&#8217;s<\/a> first tournament upcoming, Smith has also started practice, which is another thing to balance with his academic schedule.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you&#8217;re wondering how it&#8217;s possible that a former professional athlete is able to play on an NCAA team, the organization&#8217;s rules stipulate that you can be on a team as a professional athlete as long as it&#8217;s not the sport you earned money playing. In other words, since Smith wanted to be on the golf team and wasn&#8217;t trying to join the A&amp;T basketball team, he&#8217;s good to go.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>As a guest on the first episode of the &#8220;All the Smoke&#8221; podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson in 2019, <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shobasketball\/status\/1436102121775001620?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"89\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:89,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:18}\">Smith said<\/a> it was the late Moses Malone who got him to first pick up a golf club. Smith was at a charity tournament just goofing around, but Malone told him to grab a club, and since Smith has a rule to never disrespect Hall of Famers, he did.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Hit the ball 300 yards down the fairway, first time,&#8221; Smith said. But later that same day, this time with a crowd watching, he tried again and couldn&#8217;t hit the ball.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>He was hooked, and bought his first clubs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>He&#8217;s now a 5 handicap, and has played at <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/golf.com\/gear\/jr-smith-nba-basketball-golf-bag-equipment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"90\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:90,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:19}\">some of the best<\/a> courses in the United States. While some have groused that Smith potentially took a roster spot away from a young golfer, in <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/features\/jr-smith-now-a-member-of-the-n-c-at-golf-team-looks-forward-to-competing-and-earning-his-degree\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-id=\"91\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:91,&quot;p&quot;:71,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;partnerLink&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:24,&quot;o&quot;:20}\">an interview with<\/a> The Undefeated last month Aggies coach Richard Watkins insisted that he earned a spot.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Smith is paying his own way to school, so no one is losing out on a scholarship, and Smith just asked for the chance to try out.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cAthletic competition at very high levels is an earned privilege. If you don\u2019t earn it, you don\u2019t get to do it. And that\u2019s in an 18-year-old\u2019s case, or 35-year-old\u2019s case. If you don\u2019t earn it, it\u2019s not just granted to you. And from a coaching standpoint, me and J already had this discussion,\u201d said Watkins. \u201cThere\u2019s only two ways for a team to get better. Either the players that they have, have to improve, or coach has to go out and get better players. So, he\u2019s not being given a spot because he\u2019s J.R. Smith.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Whether or not he goes on to earn a doctorate, Smith still has lofty goals: he wants to be an All-American by his senior year, and to help recruit more students to North Carolina A&amp;T.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>He also envisions founding a school that focuses on STEM but also involves golf and wants to introduce more kids to the sport.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Before all of that there&#8217;s his debut as a college athlete at next weekend&#8217;s Black College Golf Coaches Association Invitational and next month&#8217;s GHOE, or Greatest Homecoming on Earth, A&amp;T&#8217;s signature campus event.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>If the last month is any indication, Smith will keep us posted on all of it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"postarticlecontent\" data-id=\"101\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:101,&quot;p&quot;:69,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;postarticlecontent&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:6,&quot;o&quot;:2}\">\n<div id=\"civsci-id-76398579\" class=\"civsci\" data-civicscience-widget=\"dc47b0af-1755-c124-4d1b-758f0eee9014\">\n<div class=\"csw-wrapper\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"sameoab_ad_container loaded\" data-nativead-2call-placements=\"post-article:2\" data-nativead-postarticle-count=\"2\" data-id=\"102\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:102,&quot;p&quot;:66,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;sameoab_ad&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:8,&quot;o&quot;:4}\">\n<div class=\"section_header\">\n<div class=\"single__header\">\n<header class=\"article-header\">\n<h1 class=\"headline headline--single\"><strong>J.R. Smith is live-tweeting his college experience and it\u2019s amazing<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"single__content entry-content m-bottom \">\n<p><strong>In one of the best back-to-school storylines \u2014 a real-life mix of \u201cBilly Madison\u201d and \u201cHappy Gilmore\u201d \u2014 J.R. Smith is officially a college man. And thankfully, he\u2019s tweeting his way through it in a way only he can.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Smith enrolled at North Carolina A&amp;T this month, aiming for a degree in liberal studies. As of this week, he <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/08\/24\/j-r-smith-to-play-college-golf-at-north-carolina-at\/\">is also a member of the Aggies\u2019 golf team<\/a> after the NCAA officially granted the 16-year NBA vet, who will turn 36 on Sept. 9, eligibility.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The New Jersey native, who was drafted 18th-overall out of Newark\u2019s St. Benedict\u2019s Prep by New Orleans in 2004, played parts of four seasons for the Knicks, from 2012-15.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Smith took to Twitter on Wednesday to share his experience of going back to class.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cI\u2019m about to start texting\/tweeting in full sentences using punctuation and s\u2013t\u2026 Homies going to be like \u2018who diss,\u2019\u201d Smith wrote with two crying laughing emojis.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19265700\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jrsmith.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jrsmith.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jrsmith.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jrsmith.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jrsmith.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" alt=\"J.R. Smith is back in college and just not to play golf.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/strong><figcaption><strong>J.R. Smith is back in college and just not to play golf.<\/strong><\/figcaption><figcaption><strong><span class=\"credit\">US PGA TOUR<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>And if you think the two-time NBA champ isn\u2019t actually doing the work himself? He has news for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<div class=\"inline-module inline-module--related-post\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"story story--i-flex story--i-flex-none-lg\">\n<div class=\"story__image\"><strong><a class=\"inline-module--related-post__link\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/08\/24\/j-r-smith-to-play-college-golf-at-north-carolina-at\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-nyp_large_video size-nyp_large_video\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jr-smith-golf.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=389\" sizes=\"(min-width: 600px) 389px, 300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jr-smith-golf.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=778 778w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jr-smith-golf.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=584 583w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jr-smith-golf.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=389 389w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jr-smith-golf.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=195 194w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/jr-smith-golf.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" alt=\"J.R. Smith smiles on the 16th tee box prior to the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on Jan. 29, 2020.\" width=\"389\" height=\"260\" \/> <\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"postid-19232599 story__headline headline headline--xs inline-module--related-post__headline\"><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>\u201cEveryone around the city keep asking me \u2018who you got doing your work\u2019 S\u2013t me lol I\u2019m really trying to learn something tf,\u201d he tweeted.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Smith continued live tweeting his educational endeavor on Thursday: \u201cFirst tutoring session in the books! I really like Mrs. Burke extremely helpful.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>He later added, \u201cFinished my English homework. Dope short story about a little girl with six brothers and seeking parents approval. Dope reading.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>While the former Knicks guard may be sharing a relatable college experience in the classroom, there\u2019s no ramen on the menu for this college student. In response to a follower asking him if he has a meal plan, he tweeted back, \u201cYea on my American Express.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"single__content entry-content m-bottom \">\n<p><strong>Smith will get his first chance on the course when the Aggies golf team tees off their season on Sept. 24 at the Black College Golf Coaches Association Invitational in Newnan, Ga.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"floatingShare\">\n<div class=\"floating-share-wrap single__floating-share opaque attached\">\n<div class=\"floating-share sharedaddy\" data-component=\"socialShare\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"header-23194755\" class=\"entry-header\">\n<h1 class=\"entry-title\"><strong>JR Smith Is Live-Tweeting His Academic Progress And It\u2019s Incredibly Entertaining<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"post-page\">\n<div id=\"attachment_23194757\" class=\"module image alignnone mceTemp\">\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-23194757 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled jetpack-lazy-image--loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/brobible.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/GettyImages-1235055468.jpg?w=650\" alt=\"JR Smith College Update North Carolina A&amp;T Classroom Grades Live Tweet Twitter\" width=\"650\" height=\"434\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"header-23187318\" class=\"entry-header\">\n<h1 class=\"entry-title\"><strong>J.R. Smith Is Live Tweeting His College Experience And Shared A Funny Story From His First Week<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"post-page\">\n<div id=\"attachment_23187340\" class=\"module image alignnone mceTemp\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-23187340 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled jetpack-lazy-image--loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/brobible.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1278503121.jpg?w=650\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) calc(100vw - 20px), (max-width: 960px) calc(100vw - 40px), (max-width: 1024px) calc(100vw - 360px), (min-width: 1025px) 704px, 704px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brobible.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1278503121.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/brobible.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1278503121.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/brobible.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1278503121.jpg?resize=650,434 650w, https:\/\/brobible.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1278503121.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/brobible.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1278503121.jpg?resize=800,534 800w, https:\/\/brobible.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1278503121.jpg?resize=150,100 150w\" alt=\"JR Smith\" width=\"650\" height=\"434\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" \/><\/strong><\/div>\n<p><strong>J.R. Smith is back in school and it\u2019s already off to a humorous start. The 35-year-old, two-time NBA champion began class at North Carolina A&amp;T earlier this week and is pursuing a degree in liberal studies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>When Smith was a senior in high school in 2004, he was committed to play college basketball at North Carolina after a lengthy recruiting battle. However, not long after winning MVP at the McDonald\u2019s All-American Game, a NBA scout told him that he could always return to college and get a degree if he chose to go straight to the league.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Well, after 16 years of professional basketball, Smith is doing just that. And in addition, <a href=\"https:\/\/brobible.com\/sports\/article\/jr-smith-college-golf-north-carolina\/\">he is competing on the Aggie golf team<\/a> as a Division-I golfer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>As the 6-foot-6 former NBA guard walks the halls on campus in Greensboro, N.C., he is hard to miss. But at the same time, it\u2019s also hard to believe.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Smith\u2019s eventful first week.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Smith has been live tweeting some of his college experience and shared a funny story from his first week. Apparently, despite the fact that he <em>is<\/em> actually who he says he is, Smith\u2019s classmates aren\u2019t buying in.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>Joined a study group for my African American Studies class on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/groupie?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#groupie<\/a> an my classmates don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s me \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430637080275783686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>In response to the disbelief from his study group, one person suggested that he should pull a prank. Smith says those days have passed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>Lol man I&#8217;m too old for that <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Nrg7Ha12Qb\">https:\/\/t.co\/Nrg7Ha12Qb<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430637892045615105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>While some people might think that Smith is just sandbagging his way to a degree, he wants to be very clear that it is not just a joke or a hobby. He\u2019s in it to learn and he\u2019s doing all of his own work.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_2_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-1 adthrive-ad-cls\">\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>Everyone around the city keep asking me &#8220;who you got doing your work&#8221; \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02 shit me lol I&#8217;m really trying to learn something tf<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430643050745901061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>And that work he is doing is not easy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>English is my first language but these papers though <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9uSlfYLKTv\">pic.twitter.com\/9uSlfYLKTv<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430400116628807680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>As Smith starts to fine-tune his vocabulary and incorporate some of what he is learning at NC A&amp;T, he joked that his whole way of communication is about to change.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>I&#8217;m about to start texting\/tweeting in full sentences using punctuation and shit\u2026 Homies going to be like &#8220;who diss&#8221; \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430408030399733763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>When it comes to day-to-day life, Smith did make close to $90 million in career earnings after all. He isn\u2019t quite worried about the same things that other students might be.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>Yea on my American Express \ud83d\ude02 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iE4R8EVB4Z\">https:\/\/t.co\/iE4R8EVB4Z<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430645228273344526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>Lol off campus <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ht6tUlvbUS\">https:\/\/t.co\/Ht6tUlvbUS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430657886212997121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>But with that being said, he does seem to want to get some of the true college experience and might go bully some poor dudes on the hardwood.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_3_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-1 adthrive-ad-cls\">\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>Facts <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5VAul9KjbK\">https:\/\/t.co\/5VAul9KjbK<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430667512199405568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>It sounds like it has been an interesting first week at college for Smith. Fortunately for us, the updates have been promised to continue.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-holder\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>Promise <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fVB7Lrv6sw\">https:\/\/t.co\/fVB7Lrv6sw<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\/status\/1430642584163164166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>This is going to be fun!<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 id=\"firstHeading\" class=\"firstHeading\">J. R. Smith<\/h1>\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1wbh5a2\">\n<div class=\"css-901oao css-bfa6kz r-14j79pv r-18u37iz r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\" dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">@TheRealJRSmith<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bodyContent\" class=\"vector-body\">\n<div id=\"mw-content-text\" class=\"mw-body-content mw-content-ltr\" dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\n<div class=\"mw-parser-output\">\n<table class=\"infobox vcard\">\n<caption class=\"infobox-title fn summary\"><strong>J. R. Smith<\/strong><\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-image\" colspan=\"2\"><strong><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:J.R._Smith_(40627108671)_(cropped).jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/c4\/J.R._Smith_%2840627108671%29_%28cropped%29.jpg\/220px-J.R._Smith_%2840627108671%29_%28cropped%29.jpg\" srcset=\"\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/c4\/J.R._Smith_%2840627108671%29_%28cropped%29.jpg\/330px-J.R._Smith_%2840627108671%29_%28cropped%29.jpg 1.5x, \/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/c4\/J.R._Smith_%2840627108671%29_%28cropped%29.jpg\/440px-J.R._Smith_%2840627108671%29_%28cropped%29.jpg 2x\" alt=\"J.R. Smith (40627108671) (cropped).jpg\" width=\"220\" height=\"251\" data-file-width=\"2307\" data-file-height=\"2630\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"infobox-caption\"><strong>Smith with the <a title=\"Cleveland Cavaliers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cleveland_Cavaliers\">Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> in 2018<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Personal information<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Born<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>September 9, 1985<span class=\"noprint ForceAgeToShow\"> (age\u00a036)<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a title=\"Freehold Borough, New Jersey\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Freehold_Borough,_New_Jersey\">Freehold Borough, New Jersey<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Nationality<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>American<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Listed height<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>6\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in (1.98\u00a0m)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Listed weight<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>220\u00a0lb (100\u00a0kg)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Career information<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>High school<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data plainlist\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a title=\"Lakewood High School (New Jersey)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lakewood_High_School_(New_Jersey)\">Lakewood<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>(<a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Lakewood, New Jersey\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lakewood,_New_Jersey\">Lakewood, New Jersey<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Saint Benedict's Preparatory School\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Saint_Benedict%27s_Preparatory_School\">St. Benedict&#8217;s Prep<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>(<a title=\"Newark, New Jersey\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Newark,_New_Jersey\">Newark, New Jersey<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"NBA draft\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NBA_draft\">NBA draft<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"2004 NBA draft\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2004_NBA_draft\">2004<\/a> \/ Round: 1 \/ Pick: 18th overall<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-full-data\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Selected by the <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"New Orleans Hornets\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Orleans_Hornets\">New Orleans Hornets<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Playing career<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>2004\u20132020<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Position<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"Shooting guard\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shooting_guard\">Shooting guard<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Number<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>23, 1, 5, 8, 21<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Career history<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"2004\u201305 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2004%E2%80%9305_NBA_season\">2004<\/a>\u2013<a title=\"2005\u201306 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2005%E2%80%9306_NBA_season\">2006<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"New Orleans Hornets\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Orleans_Hornets\">New Orleans Hornets<\/a><sup id=\"cite_ref-1\" class=\"reference\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/J._R._Smith#cite_note-1\">[a]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"2006\u201307 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2006%E2%80%9307_NBA_season\">2006<\/a>\u2013<a title=\"2010\u201311 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2010%E2%80%9311_NBA_season\">2011<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"Denver Nuggets\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Denver_Nuggets\">Denver Nuggets<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"2011\u201312 Chinese Basketball Association season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2011%E2%80%9312_Chinese_Basketball_Association_season\">2011\u20132012<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"Zhejiang Golden Bulls\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zhejiang_Golden_Bulls\">Zhejiang Golden Bulls<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"2011\u201312 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2011%E2%80%9312_NBA_season\">2012<\/a>\u2013<a title=\"2014\u201315 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2014%E2%80%9315_NBA_season\">2015<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"New York Knicks\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_York_Knicks\">New York Knicks<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"2014\u201315 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2014%E2%80%9315_NBA_season\">2015<\/a>\u2013<a title=\"2018\u201319 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2018%E2%80%9319_NBA_season\">2019<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"Cleveland Cavaliers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cleveland_Cavaliers\">Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"2019\u201320 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2019%E2%80%9320_NBA_season\">2020<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"Los Angeles Lakers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Los_Angeles_Lakers\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Career highlights and awards<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-full-data\" colspan=\"2\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2\u00d7 <a title=\"List of NBA champions\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_NBA_champions\">NBA champion<\/a> (<a title=\"2016 NBA Finals\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_NBA_Finals\">2016<\/a>, <a title=\"2020 NBA Finals\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2020_NBA_Finals\">2020<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NBA_Sixth_Man_of_the_Year_Award\">NBA Sixth Man of the Year<\/a> (<a title=\"2012\u201313 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2012%E2%80%9313_NBA_season\">2013<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"List of Chinese Basketball Association scoring leaders\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Chinese_Basketball_Association_scoring_leaders\">CBA scoring champion<\/a> (<a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2011\u201312 CBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2011%E2%80%9312_CBA_season\">2012<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"Chinese Basketball Association\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinese_Basketball_Association\">CBA<\/a> All-Star (<a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2011\u201312 CBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2011%E2%80%9312_CBA_season\">2012<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Second-team <a title=\"Parade All-America Boys Basketball Team\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parade_All-America_Boys_Basketball_Team\"><i>Parade<\/i> All-American<\/a> (2004)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"McDonald's All-American Game\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McDonald%27s_All-American_Game\">McDonald&#8217;s All-American Game Co-MVP<\/a> (<a title=\"2004 McDonald's All-American Boys Game\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2004_McDonald%27s_All-American_Boys_Game\">2004<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-full-data\" colspan=\"2\"><strong><a class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/player\/2747\" rel=\"nofollow\">Stats<\/a>\u00a0<a title=\"Edit this at Wikidata\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q669334#P3647\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png\" srcset=\"\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, \/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x\" alt=\"Edit this at Wikidata\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" data-file-width=\"20\" data-file-height=\"20\" \/><\/a> at NBA.com<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-full-data\" colspan=\"2\"><strong><a class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/smithjr01.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Stats<\/a>\u00a0<a title=\"Edit this at Wikidata\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q669334#P2685\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png\" srcset=\"\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, \/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x\" alt=\"Edit this at Wikidata\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" data-file-width=\"20\" data-file-height=\"20\" \/><\/a> at Basketball-Reference.com<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22043\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/jr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/jr.jpg 225w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/jr-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Earl Joseph &#8220;J. R.&#8221; Smith III<sup id=\"cite_ref-times_2-0\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> (born September 9, 1985) is an American former professional <a title=\"Basketball\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Basketball\">basketball<\/a> player. He played high school basketball at <a title=\"New Jersey\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey\">New Jersey<\/a> basketball powerhouse <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Saint Benedict's Preparatory School\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Saint_Benedict%27s_Preparatory_School\">Saint Benedict&#8217;s Preparatory School<\/a> in <a title=\"Newark, New Jersey\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Newark,_New_Jersey\">Newark<\/a>. He entered the NBA out of high school after being selected in the first round of the <a title=\"2004 NBA draft\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2004_NBA_draft\">2004 NBA draft<\/a> with the 18th overall pick by the <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"New Orleans Hornets\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Orleans_Hornets\">New Orleans Hornets<\/a>. He has also played for the <a title=\"Denver Nuggets\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Denver_Nuggets\">Denver Nuggets<\/a> and <a title=\"New York Knicks\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_York_Knicks\">New York Knicks<\/a>, as well as for the <a title=\"Zhejiang Golden Bulls\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zhejiang_Golden_Bulls\">Zhejiang Golden Bulls<\/a> of the <a title=\"Chinese Basketball Association\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinese_Basketball_Association\">Chinese Basketball Association<\/a>. Smith has won two <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"NBA Championship\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NBA_Championship\">NBA Championships<\/a>, with the <a title=\"Cleveland Cavaliers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cleveland_Cavaliers\">Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> in <a title=\"2016 NBA Finals\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_NBA_Finals\">2016<\/a> and with the <a title=\"Los Angeles Lakers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Los_Angeles_Lakers\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> in <a title=\"2020 NBA Finals\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2020_NBA_Finals\">2020<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Born in <a title=\"Freehold Borough, New Jersey\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Freehold_Borough,_New_Jersey\">Freehold Borough, New Jersey<\/a>, Smith grew up in the <a title=\"Clarksburg, New Jersey\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clarksburg,_New_Jersey\">Clarksburg<\/a> section of <a title=\"Millstone Township, New Jersey\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Millstone_Township,_New_Jersey\">Millstone Township, New Jersey<\/a>. He spent five years in high school. A freshman in 1999\u20132000, Smith went to <a title=\"Steinert High School\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steinert_High_School\">Steinert High<\/a> for the first semester and then <a title=\"Trenton Catholic Academy\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trenton_Catholic_Academy\">McCorristin Catholic High<\/a> for the next, both in New Jersey. Having not competed in sports for either school, he was permitted to transfer to <a title=\"Lakewood High School (New Jersey)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lakewood_High_School_(New_Jersey)\">Lakewood High<\/a> and repeat his freshman year. He played two seasons of basketball for Lakewood before transferring to <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Saint Benedict's Preparatory School\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Saint_Benedict%27s_Preparatory_School\">Saint Benedict&#8217;s Preparatory School<\/a> in 2002. Smith was highly rated in <a title=\"American football\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_football\">football<\/a> and also played <a title=\"Baseball\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Baseball\">baseball<\/a>. He focused strictly on basketball as a senior. He committed to play college basketball at <a title=\"North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Carolina_Tar_Heels_men%27s_basketball\">North Carolina<\/a> after a lengthy recruiting battle. However, after winning co-MVP with <a title=\"Dwight Howard\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dwight_Howard\">Dwight Howard<\/a> at the <a title=\"2004 McDonald's All-American Boys Game\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2004_McDonald%27s_All-American_Boys_Game\">2004 McDonald&#8217;s All-American Game<\/a>, Smith decided to forgo college and declared for the <a title=\"2004 NBA draft\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2004_NBA_draft\">2004 NBA draft<\/a>.<sup id=\"cite_ref-high-school_5-5\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"meta\">\n<div>\n<h1><strong>J.R. Smith<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22042\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/jr-smith.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> Earl Smith III \u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/friv\/twitter.html\">Twitter<\/a>: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealJRSmith\">TheRealJRSmith<\/a> \u25aa Instagram: <a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/teamswish\">teamswish<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>(The Prodigy, J.R. Swish, Henny God, 911)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> Position: Shooting Guard and Small Forward \u25aa Shoots: Right<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>6-6,\u00a0225lb\u00a0(198cm,\u00a0102kg)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Born: <span id=\"necro-birth\" data-birth=\"1985-09-09\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/friv\/birthdays.fcgi?month=9&amp;day=9\">September 9<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/friv\/birthyears.fcgi?year=1985\">1985<\/a> <\/span> (Age:\u00a036-008d) in\u00a0Freehold,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/friv\/birthplaces.fcgi?country=US&amp;state=NJ\">New Jersey<\/a> <span class=\"f-i f-us\">us<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Relatives: Brother\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/smithch05.html\">Chris\u00a0Smith<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> High School: Saint Benedict&#8217;s Preparatory School in Newark, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/friv\/high_schools.fcgi?country=US&amp;state=NJ\">New Jersey<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Recruiting Rank: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/awards\/recruit_rankings_2004.html\">2004<\/a> (23)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> Draft: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/NOH\/draft.html\">New Orleans Hornets<\/a>, 1st round (18th pick, 18th overall), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/draft\/NBA_2004.html\">2004 NBA Draft<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>NBA Debut: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/boxscores\/200411030NOH.html\">November 3, 2004<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Experience:\u00a016 years<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul id=\"bling\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong><a>2x NBA Champ<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><strong><a>2012-13 Sixth Man<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"List of Chinese Basketball Association scoring leaders\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Chinese_Basketball_Association_scoring_leaders\">CBA scoring champion<\/a> (<a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2011\u201312 CBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2011%E2%80%9312_CBA_season\">2012<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"Chinese Basketball Association\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinese_Basketball_Association\">CBA<\/a> All-Star (<a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2011\u201312 CBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2011%E2%80%9312_CBA_season\">2012<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Second-team <a title=\"Parade All-America Boys Basketball Team\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parade_All-America_Boys_Basketball_Team\"><i>Parade<\/i> All-American<\/a> (2004)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"McDonald's All-American Game\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McDonald%27s_All-American_Game\">McDonald&#8217;s All-American Game Co-MVP<\/a> (<a title=\"2004 McDonald's All-American Boys Game\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2004_McDonald%27s_All-American_Boys_Game\">2004<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>J.R. Smith&#8217;s HBCU journey is a shining example of Black excellence J.R. Smith is a two-time NBA champion and a former Sixth Man of the year who earned millions of dollars over the course of his 16 seasons.When he retired after his second title, with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, he could have done [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2405,330,11,8,1314,2432,1456,1156,110,13,2404,2406,14,106,1,12,7,9,10],"tags":[2951,4758,4034,4660,4655,4657,4759,4658],"class_list":["post-22372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-basketball-sports","category-business","category-entertainment","category-global-business-entrepreneurs","category-global-gamers","category-global-news-updates-and-more","category-global-sports","category-golf-sports-news","category-health","category-high-school-sports","category-mbs-hss","category-most-commented","category-nba-sports-news","category-news","category-scitech","category-sports","category-us","category-world","tag-2951","tag-1985-age-36-freehold-borough","tag-4034","tag-4660","tag-j-r-smithj-r-smith-40627108671-cropped-jpg-smith-with-the-cleveland-cavaliers-in-2018-personal-information-born-september-9","tag-new-jersey-nationality-american-listed-height-6-ft-6-in-1-98-m-listed-weight-220-lb-100-kg-career-information-high-school-lakewood-lakewood","tag-new-jersey-nba-draft-2004-round-1-pick-18th-overall-selected-by-the-new-orleans-hornets-playing-career-2004-2020-position-shooting-guard-number-23","tag-new-jersey-st-benedicts-prep-newark","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}