HE is now one of America’s most prominent students!
NBA-Star JR Smith (35) beginnt sein Studium North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro.
In 2016, Smith became NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2020 he won the title again with the Los Angeles Lakers. He ended his basketball career last year.
Now he has started again – and causes a stir: Because Smith wants to join the golf team at the university!
The NCAA, short for National Collegiate Athletic Association (the umbrella organization for university sports, which is very important in the USA), has not yet decided whether the 35-year-old will get a special permit.
The NCAA rules prohibit an athlete who played as a professional from playing for a university team. The paragraph only applies to athletes who want to compete in the same sport. From another sport is not the rule. That is now being investigated.
Incidentally, Smith has a handicap of 5 – a top value that naturally amazes all other college students. It started 12 years ago.
Richard Watkins, who coaches both the men’s and women’s teams of the “Aggies”: “This is a big deal for A&T. It’s a big deal for him. It doesn’t often happen that someone in his position really has the opportunity to have a thought, a dream, an idea and to be able to put it into practice. “
Smith is enrolled in Liberal Studies, the subject areas include literature, history, philosophy and science.
Smith, who moved straight to the NBA from high school in 2004, came up with the idea of going back to college after talking to NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen.
Smith reveals: “He won me over. We had a little golf trip to the Dominican Republic. We talked about challenges in life after exercise. “
A conversation with NBA superstar Chris Paul, who was just in the NBA finals with the Phoenix Suns, also played an important role, according to Smith. Paul is the godfather of Smith’s children and grew up not far from university. He encouraged him to take this step.
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The USA insider! Nils Suling lives in the USA, analyzes the topics America is talking about. Everything about football, basketball, ice hockey, baseball, soccer, martial arts. Follow the USA Insider on Twitter: @NilsSuling
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