J.R. Smith wants to join the golf tour. We're not talking about the PGA Tour though, even if he can eventually attack that endeavor once his career is over. The Cleveland Cavaliers' free agent is a very good golfer, and it's one of his passions away from the basketball court. He has a very good reputation for hitting the links and golfs with all types of celebrities. He wants to use that type of connection to create a mini golf tour with NBA players and Hollywood celebrities.
In a discussion with Jared Zwerling of the NBPA, Smith says he has an idea where about 10 NBA players go on a three-city tour, playing the best golf course in those cities. Fans could come out and watch their favorite NBA players swing some clubs around, while also seeing them paired with a celebrity. The money from fans and sponsorship for this mini tour could be spread out to the charities of everybody's choosing, and they could have their passions of giving back to communities and golfing combined.
I also want to host a celebrity golf weekend where I bring athletes and Hollywood guys to my hometown to show them where I'm from. But more than anything, it's to help the youth because when they see us, they just get so engaged and inspired.
That's not all. I have the idea of organizing a mini golf tour for NBA players. A lot of us play golf. I've been trying to get the guys to do one. We'd do like three cities, go to the three best golf courses and have our own little mini tour. Have fans come out and watch.
Realistically, it can be one day out of the week at a golf course, and let's say 10 guys would play. It's not a 50-man field like the PGA Tour. It would be a select group, two at at time. Then all the money would be donated to each other's charities. And the players could be paired with a celebrity. Justin Timberlake plays, Samuel Jackson, Mark Wahlberg, all these Hollywood guys. That's all they talk to me about when they see me--golf, golf, golf.
Recently, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry was spotted playing golf with President Barack Obama. Lots of NBA players take their talents to the golf course on off-days to relax but still maintain focus in a competition that isn't basketball. With the proceeds going to charities to help others, this could become a really fun event that possibly finds its way to a sports channel to grow the revenue and contributions even more.
Pro-Am golfing events are usually big crowd draws with athletes and celebrities pairing up to hit the course. You'd simply be eliminating the professional golfers from the situation, but it could still be quite successful.
Now that Smith is an NBA champion, maybe this won't be so hard to organize.
