College signing day for @TheRealJRSmith. Because if Im going to give it a shot, thats the only way its going to work.. Smith hung in there strong for 10 holes, and was in the middle of the pack on the leaderboard at just one over before things took a turn for the worse. Whatever you do, dont go rushing to conclusions about Smiths game. Unfortunately, he only made one other birdie over his next 31 holes of play on the day (golfers played 36 on Monday at Alamance Country Club in Burlington, North Carolina). Ex-NBAer turned college golfer JR Smith named North Carolina A&T's Academic Athlete of the Year. I dont know if the professor is prepared for that, and Im obviously not the average freshman. The former sixth man of the year was named North Carolina A&T;s Academic Athlete of the Year with a 4.0 GPA on Monday. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Wednesday night's slate. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images), J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies and Joey Morganti of the Temple Owls drive, J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies and Joey Morganti of the Temple Owls drive to the next hole during the Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club on October 11, 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina. J.R. Smith is becoming a college student and he's hoping to become a college athlete as well. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images), Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies, Miles Albright of the Gardner-Webb, Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies, Miles Albright of the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs, Pedro Rabadan of the Elon Phoenix and Joey Morganti of the Temple Owls wait to tee off to begin the Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club on October 11, 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina. Weve known for a long time that retired NBA star J.R. Smith is an avid golfer. Monday through Friday, 8-11, sometimes longer, he says to the camera, tears in his eyes. In January, Smith signed with Excel Sports Management for NIL representation. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775722383 ORIG FILE ID: 1346025445, Fans and media follow J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies as he walks to, Fans and media follow J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies as he walks to the 13th hole during the Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club on October 11, 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina. It is no surprise he has penned NIL deals, as Smith has grown in popularity as a college golfer All Rights Reserved. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much As the Associated press reports, Smith participated in an online press conference Monday, in which he revealed his excitement over his impending college career. . The Spurs are showcasing the importance of Black culture in their community for the month of February. The 36-year-old former NBA star responded to the news with a smile emoji. Its going to be fun. The Aggies first golf match comes Sept. 24-25 at the Black College Golf Coaches Association Invitational in Newnan, Georgia. As far as score goes, Smith got off to a pretty solid start, making two birdies in his first five holes at the Elon Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club. Two-time NBA champion JR Smith made his college golf debut on Monday exactly a year to the day after he won an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers. So it all correlates the same for me.. -via ESPN / April 26, 2022, LeBron James: YESSIR @TheRealJRSmith !! 9 to within a foot from the pin. The most famous collegiate golfer plays at North Carolina A&T: J.R. Smith. @WFMY @ncatsuaggies pic.twitter.com/s7q6rpk1pa, #perspective+1 thru his first 10, including a couple of bounce-back birdiesPars at 13 & 14 are strong from the tips, but bogey on the next 3 easier holes start to get in your head before difficult tasks on 18 & 1Need to see good things at 2, 4, & 6Going 36 today! To the surprise of absolutely no one, that old Cardale Jones tweet made quite the comeback. You would think a guy like J.R. is used to having eyes on him.". followed @TheRealJRSmith for the first five holes today in his first tournament as a member of the @NCATAGGIES Golf Team. In his second round of the day, it followed a similar pattern: a good start with a difficult finish. Now he was diving headfirst into the world of higher education at the age of 36 with the stated mission of playing college golf. Now, in his second semester at the HBCU, the two-time NBA champion is already earning accolades in the classroom. 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And while it perhaps did not lead to the scorecard Smith wanted on Monday, it's fantastic that somebody so accomplished on one discipline is entering the arena in another one. Smith had the sixth-best score out of six players on his team. Smith blames all parties involved, from Rodgers to Gutekunst to coach Matt LaFleur. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images), Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies marks his ball before the, Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies marks his ball before the Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club on October 11, 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina. North Carolina A&T's Academic Athlete of the Year, with a 4.0 GPA:JR Smith, Men's Golf (: @Turkin35) pic.twitter.com/wPyIb9zNkm. Love bro https://t.co/gqwOLnlcdw. Anthony Ford, competing as an individual, shot an 11-over 82. followed @TheRealJRSmith for the first five holes today in his first tournament as a member of the @NCATAGGIES Golf Team. J.R. Smith's hard work this year has paid off. The former NBA player turned college student athlete was named North Carolina A&T's Academic Athlete of the Year. Smith earned a 4.0 GPA while pursuing a degree in liberal studies and competing on the golf team. The 36-year-old former NBA star responded to the news with a smile emoji. pic.twitter.com/MOPVusR4zE. How about during freshman year? While his score was dropped from the Aggies team total for the first round (the format is play five players, count your best four scores), Smith did beat one of his teammates in the first 18. Hes already started classes, relating his experiences via his Twitter feed. Plus, from the looks of the video below and a handful of tweets from those on-site, Smith really had it going to start the day before things got away from him. The most famous college golfer is not one of the best amateurs in the world. Two-time NBA champion J.R. Smith has transitioned from the court to the golf course and classroom effortlessly. Two-time NBA champion JR Smith, making his collegiate golf debut for North Carolina A&T, finished in 81st place out 84 entries after shooting a 79 in the final @WFMY @ncatsuaggies pic.twitter.com/s7q6rpk1pa, Brian Hall (@bhallwfmy) October 11, 2021, He has a good enough golf game to put up some good numbers, said head coach Richard Watkins a week before Smiths debut. That, in and of itself, is success. Thats right. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: golf | pageType: stories | What do we make of the PGA Tours new Designated Events Model? Smith will have another chance to show who he really is on the course in Monday afternoons second round, which is now underway. pic.twitter.com/WlCNZ8cCvk, followed @TheRealJRSmith for the first five holes today in his first tournament as a member of the @NCATAGGIES Golf Team. On Aug. 24, just a day after starting classes, he was cleared to play golf for the Aggies.Source: Casey Musarra @ New York Post, Front Office Sports: North Carolina A&T;s Academic Athlete of the Year, with a 4.0 GPA: JR Smith, Mens Golf (: @Turkin35) -via Twitter / April 26, 2022, The news comes a week after apparel brand Lululemon signed Smith to be its golf ambassador through a name, image and likeness deal. Proud of you Kid!!! I didnt really know what to expect., Despite Smiths up-and-down rounds, former teammate and NBA superstar LeBron James expressed his admiration for the debutant golfer. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Since Smith wanted to play on the golf team, and not the basketball team, the green light was given. [It was] a learning experience, he said. Here's what you need to know from the last week in college golf. As managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brands e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. Smith is not the only one celebrating his accomplishments, as his former teammate LeBron James has chimed in as well. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images), https://golfweek.usatoday.com/gallery/nba-jr-smith-college-golf-north-carolina-at/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, PGA Tour approves radical schedule changes, reducing fields in elevated events and ending cuts, Drivers used by PGA Tour pros ranked in the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. Smith, 35, played 16 seasons in the NBA but is hoping to play golf in college. This was a guy most famous (or rather infamous) for never wearing a shirt and miscounting the score in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! Love bro https://t.co/gqwOLnlcdw. Smith, 36, enrolled at North Carolina A&T; on Aug. 11, pursuing a degree in liberal studies with the intention of joining the golf team while awaiting a decision from the NCAA regarding his eligibility. Oh man is right. YESSIR @TheRealJRSmith!! The 2-time NBA Champion is now a freshman walk-on for the North Carolina A&T mens golf team.. Note: This profile will be updated as more information becomes available. The 6-foot-6 guard was set to join tradition-rich North Carolina under Roy Williams in 2004, but instead jumped straight to the NBA and was a first-round draft pick. "I dont give a damn whether he wants to stay or go," Smith said. Proud of you Kid!!! NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Melo joining LeBron, Lakers on 1-year deal, NBA unveils diamond patch for NBA 75 jerseys, OKC acquires Favors, future first-round pick, Durant expected to make Suns debut tonight, David Benner, Pacers longtime PR director, dies, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays & strategy for March 1, Kia Rookie Ladder: State of chase after All-Star, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer Wednesday 3/1, How the Spurs celebrated Black Heritage Night. The former sixth man of the year was named North Carolina A&T;s Academic Athlete of the Year with a 4.0 GPA on Monday. The 18-year veteran flourished in a bench role last season with the Blazers, averaging 13.4 points in 24.5 minutes while shooting 40.9% from deep. Smith, 36, enrolled at North Smith, a 16-year NBA veteran, enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University in August, with the hopes of playing on the universitys golf team. Obviously different environments from playing in front of 20,000 people to playing in a college golf gallery, Smith said. Because if Im going to give it a shot, thats the only way its going to work.. 7 things I noticed inside NBA champion J.R. 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