Former NBA guard J.R. Smith sure is making the most of his time as a collegiate athlete. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Smith, who is a freshman golfer at North Carolina A&T, has signed a deal with Excel Sports for NIL representation.
Smith, 36, recently began his second semester at the school and is looking to earn endorsement opportunities under the NCAA's new name, image, and likeness parameters. Smith's agent, Lance Young, told ESPN that there is significant NIL interest for the former NBA star.
That's not bad for a guy who earned over $90M during his NBA career.
It's understandable that companies are looking to take advantage of Smith's celebrity -- he has taken the golf world by storm during his time at North Carolina A&T. Under the NCAA's NIL rules, Smith can't promote his sponsors at NCAA-sanctioned events, but he can appear in commercials and make references to his affiliation on social media.
NIL agreements also can't include performance bonuses that are related to an athlete's respective sport.
During Smith's NBA career, the veteran guard played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. He won NBA titles with the Cavaliers in 2016 and the Lakers in 2020. In addition, Smith captured the Sixth Man of the Year Award during the 2012-13 season with the Knicks.
Smith hasn't played in the NBA since he suited up for the Lakers during the 2019-20 season, but never announced his retirement from the sport.
