GREENSBORO, N.C. (WBTV) – A two-time NBA champion is set to graduate from a college in North Carolina this weekend.
J.R. Smith — who played 16 years of professional basketball — will graduate from NC A&T on Saturday, May 9. He reportedly earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies.
The 40-year-old enrolled at the university in Greensboro back in 2021, just months after he won the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers. Upon his enrollment, he joined the Aggies’ golf team and continued to play all five years he was at the school.
Smith posted a video on May 4, in which he was wearing an “Aggie Pride” shirt and showed a graduation cap and gown.
“We did it! We did it! We did it!” he said in the video. “Secured the bag, man.”
The ex-basketball player was drafted right out of high school in 2004 and went straight to the NBA. Smith had to petition the NCAA for athletic eligibility when he enrolled at NC A&T back in 2021, but was ultimately granted permission to play college golf.
Smith’s longtime teammate, LeBron James, produced a four-part series called “Redefined: J.R. Smith,” which was released on Amazon Prime Video in 2023. The series followed Smith’s educational and golf journey at North Carolina A&T.
Remembered by fans as a three-point shooter, nearly half of Smith’s NBA shot attempts were from deep. He averaged 12.4 points per game during his pro career and won the 2016 and 2020 championships with the Cavaliers and Lakers, respectively.
Aside from the Cavs and Lakers, Smith also played for the New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets.
NBA champion J.R. Smith (5) is set to graduate from North Carolina A&T on May 9, 2026.(Marcio Jose Sanchez | AP)
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