Interview with Nolan Smith In Exclusivity

The career of former college All-American and NBA point guard Nolan Smith represents a veritable “bingo card” of career milestones. The interview with Nolan Smith is one of the most requested interviews by our followers.

After a decorated high school basketball career, Smith enrolled at Duke University, where he would go on to win the ACC Player of the Year Award, be named a consensus first-team All-American, and win the NCAA Championship as a member of the 2010 Blue Devils team.

Smith parlayed that success into becoming a first-round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Though his professional career didn’t follow quite the same trajectory, in between stops in the NBA’s Summer League and Developmental League, Smith played basketball overseas in Croatia and Turkey, winning the league championship in the former overseas stop.

Currently serving as a special assistant on the Duke University basketball coaching staff, Smith was gracious enough to grant an exclusive interview with HomeBleachers.com, in which he talked about his time playing basketball, and how he spends his post-playing days.

Even in today’s world, in which sports have been shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Smith manages to keep busy with basketball.

“I am finding myself a lot busier now at home because I am creating more work for myself to be very productive during this time,” Smith said. “I’m watching a lot of films which have been the most fun!”

When asked to reflect upon his time at Duke, and what the time spent in Durham meant to him, Smith provided the perspective and advice you’d expect from someone who played under legendary Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

“For me, Being a part of a university and a community is about life after basketball. Period. The connections made in college, you will make 30 % of those connections without the network,” Smith said. “I’m thankful for my business decision to choose Duke and other universities that may present the same opportunities.”

Obviously, Smith didn’t achieve quite the same stardom in his professional playing days as some of his Blue Devil contemporaries. But, the ride itself was something Smith clearly looked back fondly upon, even if it was cut short.

In the interview with Nolan Smith, he said “It was the most rewarding day of my life as a basketball player because all of the hard work I have been putting in since 6 years old had finally paid off,” Smith stated when asked about being drafted into the NBA. “It was a surreal moment for myself and my family. I am so thankful for the moment I was able to share with trainers, coaches, and all that played a part!”

“I knew it was time to walk away from my playing career after my 2nd knee surgery. I knew it was a strong chance I’d never return to 2011-2013 Nolan, and that was my target. NBA was the only option and I was done with overseas. I was in the perfect spot to transition.”

As part of that transition, specifically in terms of returning to Duke University, as part of his responsibilities as a special assistant in Durham, Smith has spearheaded the “Brotherhood Connection” initiative, in which former and current members of the Duke basketball program connect and speak with each other through the power of teleconferencing platforms (like Zoom or Skype).

For Smith, even it’s just another way to help continue the legacy he built at Duke, and pass along all his learnings to current and future college basketball stars.

“We started the Brotherhood connect concept 2 years ago on IG live but brought it back to life as a show during this time for us to connect with players and connect with our amazing fans!”