University of North Carolina Athletics
K.J. Smith will wear a familiar jersey number as a Tar Heel.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Baby Jet
September 12, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Transfer Kenny Smith Jr. has a familiar name in Chapel Hill.
By Adam Lucas
One of the many new additions to the 2017-18 Carolina roster has never seen a live game in the Smith Center.
It's probably not the one you might expect.
Sophomore transfer KJ Smith has an extensive Tar Heel history. He's the son of Carolina star Kenny "The Jet" Smith, a lightning-fast point guard whose jersey hangs in the Smith Center rafters. But his father's busy life in basketball and his family's home in California never permitted an in-season trip to Chapel Hill. Don't doubt the family's love for the Tar Heels, however: check out KJ's view of the Final Four win over Oregon and check out his younger brother going crazy in the corner:
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"The first game of this season is going to be my first game in the Smith Center," KJ said. "I've grown up hearing about Carolina, and I love Carolina, so I'm really excited."
Smith transferred to Chapel Hill after one season at Pacific. He will sit out this season as a transfer, then be eligible to play during the 2018-19 campaign.
His lack of Tar Heel game experience doesn't mean he's a stranger to the Smith Center. Kenny Smith holds a camp in Chapel Hill every summer, so it's a familiar environment. But plenty of players attend camp. Very, very few get the thrill of walking into the Tar Heel locker room and seeing a Carolina jersey with their name on it, as KJ Smith did last week. In his case, it's even more special, because he'll wear the number-30 once sported by his father.
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KJ wore the jersey for the first time last week as part of a team photo day. As soon as he saw the jersey, he immediately FaceTimed his family in California. "They were so excited," he said. "They said that it is real now, it's really happening."
Eventually, KJ's task will be to separate himself from his father, to figure out how to contribute on the court to next year's roster. For now, though, he's looking forward to being part of the 2018 squad, trying to help the team's other perimeter players get better in practice, and learning every day from Hall of Fame head coach Roy Williams.
And although KJ has been around the NBA almost since birth because of his father's long NBA career and post-playing broadcasting gig, he's still been impressed by his first-hand exposure to the Carolina basketball family this summer.
"I couldn't even narrow it down to one thing that I've learned," he says. "The first day we played, we had Kendall Marshall, Rasheed Wallace and Tyler Hansbrough all out there teaching us. You can't put a price tag on that kind of knowledge. It's overwhelming and exciting at the same time. To me, players like that are even more impressive than NBA players. They've been here, and they know exactly what you're going to go through."
Of course, KJ also grew up in the same house with a dad who knew exactly what he's going to go through as a Tar Heel.
"I was going against him in the driveway trying to beat him every day," KJ said. "I always wanted to be just like my dad. Being here is another step in being able to do that, and I'm so grateful to be here."
Earlier this month, the 2018 Tar Heels were signing the team-autographed basketballs that will generate funds for their various charity endeavors. It's not a quick process, as players try to make their names look respectable for the fans who shell out significant money to buy the balls.
Smith began the afternoon signing "Kenny Smith Jr." But he was taking even longer than everyone else to write the three words, so sophomore Brandon Robinson had a suggestion for him. Smith liked it, and that's why the vast majority of 2017-18 team-signed balls will feature one scrawled name that might make some long-time Tar Heels do a double-take...Baby Jet.
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One of the many new additions to the 2017-18 Carolina roster has never seen a live game in the Smith Center.
It's probably not the one you might expect.
Sophomore transfer KJ Smith has an extensive Tar Heel history. He's the son of Carolina star Kenny "The Jet" Smith, a lightning-fast point guard whose jersey hangs in the Smith Center rafters. But his father's busy life in basketball and his family's home in California never permitted an in-season trip to Chapel Hill. Don't doubt the family's love for the Tar Heels, however: check out KJ's view of the Final Four win over Oregon and check out his younger brother going crazy in the corner:
Â
"The first game of this season is going to be my first game in the Smith Center," KJ said. "I've grown up hearing about Carolina, and I love Carolina, so I'm really excited."
Smith transferred to Chapel Hill after one season at Pacific. He will sit out this season as a transfer, then be eligible to play during the 2018-19 campaign.
His lack of Tar Heel game experience doesn't mean he's a stranger to the Smith Center. Kenny Smith holds a camp in Chapel Hill every summer, so it's a familiar environment. But plenty of players attend camp. Very, very few get the thrill of walking into the Tar Heel locker room and seeing a Carolina jersey with their name on it, as KJ Smith did last week. In his case, it's even more special, because he'll wear the number-30 once sported by his father.
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Dream come true... #tarheel ?? pic.twitter.com/xIWsudMcBb
— KJ Smith (@K30SMITH) September 6, 2017
KJ wore the jersey for the first time last week as part of a team photo day. As soon as he saw the jersey, he immediately FaceTimed his family in California. "They were so excited," he said. "They said that it is real now, it's really happening."
Eventually, KJ's task will be to separate himself from his father, to figure out how to contribute on the court to next year's roster. For now, though, he's looking forward to being part of the 2018 squad, trying to help the team's other perimeter players get better in practice, and learning every day from Hall of Fame head coach Roy Williams.
And although KJ has been around the NBA almost since birth because of his father's long NBA career and post-playing broadcasting gig, he's still been impressed by his first-hand exposure to the Carolina basketball family this summer.
"I couldn't even narrow it down to one thing that I've learned," he says. "The first day we played, we had Kendall Marshall, Rasheed Wallace and Tyler Hansbrough all out there teaching us. You can't put a price tag on that kind of knowledge. It's overwhelming and exciting at the same time. To me, players like that are even more impressive than NBA players. They've been here, and they know exactly what you're going to go through."
Of course, KJ also grew up in the same house with a dad who knew exactly what he's going to go through as a Tar Heel.
"I was going against him in the driveway trying to beat him every day," KJ said. "I always wanted to be just like my dad. Being here is another step in being able to do that, and I'm so grateful to be here."
Earlier this month, the 2018 Tar Heels were signing the team-autographed basketballs that will generate funds for their various charity endeavors. It's not a quick process, as players try to make their names look respectable for the fans who shell out significant money to buy the balls.
Smith began the afternoon signing "Kenny Smith Jr." But he was taking even longer than everyone else to write the three words, so sophomore Brandon Robinson had a suggestion for him. Smith liked it, and that's why the vast majority of 2017-18 team-signed balls will feature one scrawled name that might make some long-time Tar Heels do a double-take...Baby Jet.
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Players Mentioned
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