"I'm busting my b*** so I hope it pays off" - JR Smith on his college journey with the North Carolina Aggies so far

In one of the most incredible NBA offseason stories in history, two-time champion and former 1st-round pick JR Smith has gone back into education and is sharing his experiences with his Twitter following.

After a 16-year NBA career, it was presumed JR Smith's sporting life had come to a natural end after he won a second title with the LA Lakers. However, the former shooting guard, who came to the league straight out of high school, recently announced that he was enrolling at North Carolina A&T to attain a liberal studies degree. It would also later be released that he was going to play for their Division I golf team.

Having recently started classes, it appears that JR Smith is taking his time at college seriously. Responding to a tweet from a professor at Western Kentucky University, Smith said he was busting his b*** so he hopes it pays off.

@TheRealJRSmith I am a college professor who just found your story today. I’m living for your tweets about deadlines (I don’t do midnight deadlines; I’m not awake to grade until 9am), readings, and papers. So real. Seriously, I hope you inspire so many people!

— Dr. J (@drjsportcrisis) August 27, 2021

JR Smith embracing life being at College in North Carolina

JR Smith playing at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational

JR Smith enjoyed a successful career in the NBA and it looks as though he has taken his work ethic and determination into the beginning of his time at NC A&T. The 35-year-old has been live-tweeting his college experiences so far, discussing completing his English homework and how classmates in his study group for his African American Studies class don't believe it's really him. He has also gifted one of his teammates shoes that are the same size as his, 15.

Extremely blessed to be able to bless my teammate who also wears a 15 https://t.co/JG1XiftH0a

— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) August 27, 2021

A day after he began classes on Tuesday, the NCAA ruled JR Smith eligible to compete for the Aggies golf team. He joined the team as a walk-on and stated that his handicap is five. Smith will be able to show off his talents when their season begins on the 24th of September at the Black College Golf Coaches Association Invitational in Newnan, Georgia.

He has played golf for the last 12 years alongside winning two NBA chips and the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2013. In that season, he averaged 18 points and 5.3 rebounds in 80 games off the bench. He would later be on the Cleveland Cavaliers team that delivered the franchise its first-ever title before being a bit-part player in the Lakers' bubble team.

JR Smith will no doubt have inspired a lot of people with his decision to go back into education later in his life and hopefully he can succeed in both his college and golfing endeavors.

Two-time NBA champion JR Smith heads to an HBCU with eyes set on playing golf.“They always told me I could go back to school whenever”Be inspired by his story that it’s never too late for whenever.#BeyGOOD pic.twitter.com/OJIHOcTnDL

— BeyGOOD (@BeyGood) August 12, 2021