K.J. Smith makes a name for himself at UNC while embracing his dad's basketball legacy
Posted Feb 22, 2019
K.J. Smith, a walk-on point guard for the Tar Heels, dons the same number his father wore. For a while, he even rocked the same flattop haircut Kenny Smith did during his UNC playing days. K.J. fully embraces his dad’s legacy, to the point of letting his teammates call him “Baby Jet.” But it wasn’t always easy to be the namesake of the two-time NBA champion.
(Daily Tar Heel)
Related: Basketball, Tar Heels in the NBA
Antawn Jamison, other top UNC basketball performances to remember at Smith CenterNorth Carolina Men's Basketball is one win shy of notching victory No. 500 at the Smith Center, with a record of 499-90 in games at...
Wed Jan 7, 2026Video: Carolina Insider - Interview With Kenny Williams
Former North Carolina guard and 2017 national champion Kenny Williams joins Jones Angell and Adam Lucas on the Carolina Insider podcast to discuss this season's...
Wed Jan 7, 2026
Hubert Davis explains why UNC is switching more on defense this season
There’s one big difference between the defensive philosophies of Roy Williams and Hubert Davis. Williams preferred that defenders fight through screens and stick with their...
Wed Jan 7, 2026
Open Week Offers UNC Basketball Time to Focus on Defensive Issues
With no midweek game on the schedule ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Wake Forest, North Carolina plans to treat the coming days as an open...
Tue Jan 6, 2026