Kenny Smith played his collegiate basketball at North Carolina. Soon, his son will as well.
K.J. Smith spent his freshman season at Pacific, where he played in 24 games and averaged 3.2 points per game. However, he said goodbye to the school to pursue an opportunity at the place his father starred.
“I always was a UNC fan growing up,” Smith said, via Scout.com. “It was always in the back of my mind that UNC was the final destination where I wanted to end up. It was always a dream to say ‘I’m a Tar Heel.'”
“I wanted a championship-winning culture where everyone around you just wanted to win,” Smith continued. “An atmosphere where everyone was dedicated. I was talking to my dad about it, and ever since high school I’ve been a part of these championship programs. I was at Mater Dei in California and they won five-straight state championships. Then I went to IMG Academy in Florida, which is like a basketball player’s paradise. That’s what I want to get at UNC again, that championship environment.”
For a player who wants a winning environment, there aren’t many better choices than North Carolina. It has one of the more storied programs in college basketball, one Smith’s father was, of course, part of.
Prior to being a member of the “NBA on TNT” crew and a 10-year NBA career, Kenny Smith was an All-American at North Carolina on the way to being the sixth overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. Now, K.J. can follow in his father’s footsteps and hope to emulate his success.
