New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Former NBA guard Smith makes tournament debut as college golfer
BURLINGTON, N.C. — J.R. Smith couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Sure, he had spent 16 years playing in the NBA, making millions and winning two world championships in packed arenas at the highest level of a global sport. But he had never been in the situation like he was Monday: lining up tee shots as a 36-yearold freshman walk-on playing his first college golf tournament for North Carolina A&T at Elon’s Phoenix Invitational.
“I was nervous, I was,” said Smith, who shot a 12-over-par 83 in Round 1 and then a 7-over 78 in Round 2. “I didn’t really know what to expect.”
That’s easy to understand considering how massive of a change it represents for Smith. Exactly one year earlier, to the day, he was a shirtless part of an oncourt celebration with LeBron James after the Los Angeles Lakers had just closed out a title run in the Florida pandemic bubble.
Smith had since been drawn to the Greensboro school because of his interest in attending a Historically Black College or
University, which follows a push by the NBA and its players to support HBCU traditions and culture in this year’s All-Star Game in Atlanta.
On Monday, Smith’s pride came from representing a HBCU for the first time as an Aggies golfer at the two-day event at Alamance Country Club.
“We’re such a small part of the percentage of the country, let alone the budgeting system,” Smith said with a laugh. “Because I see everybody else has got vans and all this other stuff. But it’s great. It’s great to represent them. It’s great for the school to get the recognition because they deserve it, and my fellow classmates.
“That’s what I’m most excited about: to be able to come back to campus and my teammates have their head held high with a victory coming from a tournament is what we look for.”
It’s a college experience almost two decades delayed for Smith, who was originally slated to play basketball at North Carolina before jumping from the preps to the NBA to become a first-round pick in 2004.
“I was pretty pleased with him,” Aggies coach Richard Watkins said. “He made some mistakes, did some things you will do if you’re not used to competing. Just going out and playing recreational golf with your buddies is a whole lot different than competition.
“That first 18 was just to get his feet wet. Then he buckled down and I was really pleased with what he did that second 18, because education doesn’t come cheap. And I think he learned some lessons out there today.”
Smith’s presence in a blue A&T hoodie and white pants drew a minigallery ranging between 15 and 30 curious onlookers following him around the course. Eli Ehrbar couldn’t pass up the chance to be part of that.
The 21-year-old is a native of Cleveland, where Smith helped the James-led Cavaliers to the 2016 world championship. The Elon senior said it felt like a bit of good fortune that Smith qualified for his first college tournament so close.
“When I saw he qualified, I was like, ‘I have to come,’” said Ehrbar, wearing a burgundy Cavaliers hoodie.