J.R. Smith Shines At UNINTERRUPTED & Toyota’s ‘HBCU’s Rising’ Event

Aggie pride!

Source: Paras Griffin/Getty Images

2-time NBA Champion-turned-North Carolina A&T student J.R. Smith brought his Aggie pride to Toyota Tundra and UNINTERRUPTED’s ‘HBCU’s Rising’ screening experience’s exclusive curated screening experience where guests enjoyed an open bar, 360° photo station, tasty bites, free merch, and a first look at the ‘HBCU’s Rising’ docuseries following Smith’s journey to the storied institution.

Source: Paras Griffin/Getty Images

The Jonesboro High School Majestic Cardinals Marching Band escorted the guest of honor into the event with an electric entrance that wowed the crowd sprinkled with notable attendees including Donnell Jones, Polow Da Don, Erica Dixon, and more.

Source: Paras Griffin/Getty Images

J.R. Smith offered brief remarks and a spirited “Aggie Pride” chant for all of his fellow North Carolina A&T supporters in the building.

Source: Paras Griffin/Getty Images

He went on to express his sincere appreciation for his HBCU experience and why pivoting was so important to him and his family.

“For me, coming to an HBCU has been one of the best decisions of my life,” he said. “I’m fortunate to have four little girls who look up to me, my mother and grandparents looking to me. When I think of my lineage, I want to be on the right side of history as one of the people who pushed our people forward and put them in a better position.”

Peep the selects from the event below:

After a successful sixteen-year NBA career, the two-time champion decided to return to school and enrolled at the renowned North Carolina A&T to pursue his undergraduate degree.

Drafted straight out of high school in 2004, Smith initially passed on the opportunity to attend North Carolina A&T where he stars on the golf team and was named Academic Athlete of the Year with a 4.0 GPA.

At 36-years-old, he’s showing young Black and brown kids the importance of education while proving that it’s truly never too late to go back to school.

Inspirational, motivational, and aspirational, J.R. Smith’s journey shines through on 4-part docuseries ‘HBCU’s Rising’ where he takes viewers around campus to share everything he loves about the culture and community at North Carolina A&T.

Throughout the series, viewers will meet members of the community who speak to the special traditions, cultural events, and rich history which make his HBCU experience truly unique.

‘HBCU’s Rising’ is live on UNINTERRUPTED’s YouTube channel.