It’s a rarity for former pro athlete to become a analyst in a sport they didn’t play, but J.R. Smith believes he can be an anomaly.
The two-time NBA champion guard with the Cavaliers and Lakers wants to take his involvement in the golf to a different level.
“I want to be the Snoop of golf,” Smith, 40, said in a recent interview with The Post, referring to the rapper’s past gigs as a special correspondent and commentator with NBC for three Olympic Games.
“It’d be a great spot for me.”
That spot includes Smith tapping into the entertainment side of golf, which is seemingly growing by the day between celebrities and influencers as the sport goes through another popularity boom.
At last year’s Ryder Cup, “Saturday Night Live” comedian and actor Colin Jost hosted a live pregame show and won an all-star celebrity match alongside Giants legend Eli Manning at Bethpage Black in New York.
Smith is actively pushing the game forward for the younger generation after playing collegiate golf while enrolled at North Carolina A&T from 2021-26.
“I’ve been working on getting into the more entrepreneurial side of golf,” he said. “I honestly want to start hosting my own tournament and events. So, at the high school level, I really want to blow it out of the water from a grassroots side.
“I think there can be a better job of promoting golf and different events and tournaments for the younger generation… Black people playing the game of golf, that’s where I’m really trying to tap into — getting people who look like myself into the game.”
His work includes immersing himself into buzzy events, as well as partnering with top brands around the game.
Smith, an ambassador for Oakley Golf, helped test and promote the brand’s Fusion Collection, a full head-to-toe capsule of golf eyewear, apparel, shoes and accessories that honor the tradition of the game. in January.
“[Golf] is another way for me to be as competitive as I was on court, and even more so because it’s just you competing,” Smith, who is a 16-year NBA veteran, said.
“[In the NBA] you get the team, you know, see the results. So I put a lot of time into my game. My lady would definitely say I did. So for me, I tell you, it’s very serious, and I’m definitely trying to win.”
Smith and golf influencer Claire Hogle will face off against Paige Spiranac and Big John in the Polymarket Classic on Saturday.
He made his debut in the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA), competing as an amateur in the inaugural Michael Eaves Classic & Celebrity Pro-Am at TPC Louisiana this week.
Former NFL champion safety Ryan Clark, who was fired by ESPN on Sunday, and his team won the 36-hole tournament in a playoff against ex-ESPNer Jemele Hill’s squad.
“I mean it’s an individual sport,” Smith said of golf. “You have to hit every shot. But not only that — you can hit a good shot and still end up in a really bad spot in golf, just depending on how the wind blows or the elements of the game.”
Earlier this year, Smith participated in the 2026 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Fla.
The annual LPGA season opener featured over 30 sports, entertainment and music stars — such as former NBA All-Star Blake Griffin and NBA champ Ray Allen — playing alongside the best female golfers in the world.
In May, Smith graduated with a Liberal Arts degree from North Carolina A&T, where he was a walk-on for the men’s golf team.
On the court, Smith garnered a reputation for his shooting prowess and outspoken attitude.
He was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year with the Knicks in 2013, and won his first championship with the Cavaliers alongside LeBron James in the 2015-16 season.
Game 3 of that Finals between the Lakers and Heat on October 4, 2020 was the last time Smith played in an NBA game.
He has yet to formally announce his NBA retirement.
Smith, James and some members of Cleveland’s 2016 championship team — including Kevin Love, Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert — reunited in Europe in June to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their historic title.
The trip featured wine tastings, lavish dinners, and — of course — golf outings.
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