JR Smith is going back to school. North Carolina A&T confirmed the stunning news on Wednesday that the former NBA standout has indeed enrolled at the historically black university, with the 35-year-old petitioning to join the men's golf team once he gets his clearance from the NCAA.
According to North Carolina A&T athletics spokesman Brian Holloway in an interview with ESPN, plans are already underway for Smith to be part of the Aggies' golf team. He can still compete as a collegiate athlete because he went straight to the NBA after high school.
Ray Allen inspires JR Smith to return to school
If his petition is successful, Smith can get five years to complete four years of eligibility with North Carolina A&T.
Smith first bared his plans to resume his studies during the pro-am at Wyndham Championship, saying the most important thing right now is to educate himself and do something after basketball.
"They always told me I could go back whenever, when I was coming out of high school. So this is whenever for me," Smith said. On Wednesday, he told reporters that a recent conversation with Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen convinced him to go to college even at such a late age.
Smith said he and Allen went on a golfing trip in the Dominican Republic. The former Miami Heat star told him about some of the things he has been doing recently, including going back to school and challenging himself in a different field.
That piqued Smith's interest, with the two-time NBA champion deciding to pursue a degree in liberal studies at A&T. Smith is a man of many talents, though, as he decided to join also the school's golfing program.
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Smith a major boost to North Carolina A&T's golf program
Richard Watkins, the coach of North Carolina A&T's golf teams, was more than happy to hear Smith's desire to join their squad, saying the NBA star will provide a major boost to the Aggies' golfing program. Watkins said, "He's a former professional athlete, but he didn't go to college, never matriculated, the clock never started."
According to NCAA rules, an individual shall be deemed not eligible for intercollegiate athletics in a sport if the said individual ever competed on a professional team in that sport. NCAA laws, however, don't ban a former professional athlete from competing in a different sport in college, which is the case with Smith.
Smith was once tipped to join Roy Williams' basketball team in North Carolina, but the high school standout decided to skip college and enter the 2004 NBA Draft instead. That proved to be a wise decision as he enjoyed a successful career in the NBA, resulting in two championships as a member of the Lakers and the Cavs and a Sixth Man of the Year award in 2013.
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