Former Los Angeles Lakers star J.R. Smith has a busy schedule ahead of him with his recent enrollment at North Carolina A&T to pursue his dream of playing college golf. However, it seems like being the new man on campus is panning out to be a lot more difficult than the two-time championship winner had anticipated.
It wasn’t long before students at the historically Black college began recording the 35-year-old. Recently someone on TikTok recorded the athlete walking around and wrote over the video, “He really off the Henny rn,” boosting the narrative that he often indulges in the cognac.
Sports account House of Highlights reposted the since-deleted clip, but it appeared that Smith had had enough. The correlation between Smith and Hennessy may have stemmed from a bottle the player was pictured holding that many took as the dark liquor but instead was champaign. Furthermore, in interviews, Smith has often said that he’s not a real fan of the brand and has only had it three times in his lifetime. The former Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard jumped into the comments section with a scathing message.
“Ight that Henny sh-t really not funny tho can y’all try a different joke! Not really mad at the kid honestly they gone say whatever but @houseofhighlights the disrespect y’all post it’s truly enough,” Smith wrote. “As a Black man in America y’all still can’t move on from the bullsh-t that people continue to put on your name! Not one positive post about going to school an trying to better myself! Y’all make it look so weak/corney to inspire my people to want to do better you consistently bring up an post bullsh-t.”
The exchange was later shared by Twitter user and seemingly N.C.A &T alum @QueenByDesign_ who sided with the ballplayer. She expressed her excitement over his enrollment at the school; however, she cautioned that “y’all need to realize he is a person trying to better himself.” She advised fellow students to “give him his space and privacy,” but instead, “Network with him and engage in intellectual and meaningful conversation.” She later shouted out the star, letting him know how proud she was. “Do your thing. #AggiePride,” she added.
Other fans on social media echoed similar sentiments, including one person who commented, “Nothing but respect and love to our Champion, J.R. Smith.”
“Yea that TikTok ish was lame,” expressed another.
