JR Smith enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University for the fall semester earlier this year. The two-time NBA champion is pursuing a degree in liberal studies at the HBCU and is playing golf for the university.
Through his social media account, Smith stated a goal of getting a 4.0 grade point average.
It appears, through one semester, he has hit his marks.
I cant wait till my kids get out of school!!!! pic.twitter.com/KYYZkpbnlJ
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) December 14, 2021
In a video posted Tuesday, Smith, 36, was clearly emotional. "I can't even describe the feeling," Smith said. "A lot of hard work went into that s---."
On his Twitter feed, Smith posted: "Grades are in! 4.0"
JR thought he was just short of his 4.0 goal this semester only to be surprised with the good news today 🙌 @TheRealJRSmith pic.twitter.com/0mLyPSV9R6
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 14, 2021
The college experience is almost two decades delayed for Smith, who originally was slated to play basketball at the University of North Carolina before jumping from the preps to the NBA to become a first-round pick in 2004.
Smith spent 16 season in the NBA playing for five franchises. He won titles with LeBron James in 2016 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.