{"id":49660,"date":"2017-01-26T15:50:38","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T21:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=49660"},"modified":"2017-01-26T15:51:52","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T21:51:52","slug":"tupac-and-dedication-the-formula-of-terry-smith-jr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/tupac-and-dedication-the-formula-of-terry-smith-jr\/","title":{"rendered":"The formula of Curie’s Terry Smith Jr."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Astasia Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s two hours before game time at Curie High School. There\u2019s one player shooting from the three-point line and 10 more under the hoop fighting for the rebound. Another player sits on the bleachers with his head bowed, blasting the new J. Cole song False Prophets through his Beats headphones.<\/p>\n

During the holiday break, all of Curie\u2019s the legal-age players went to get tattoos. Smith remains without one. \u201cHis parents don\u2019t play that,\u201d coach Mike Oliver said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI like to stay in my own zone,\u201d Smith said. \u201cStaying humble and not taking things for granted is something my father preaches to me constantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith is unique and successful both on the court and in the classroom. He’s one of Curie’s most productive players and also an A student. Tackling honors classes and helping lead a defending state championship team may seem like an abundance of work, but Smith gets it all done. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Smith is a native of Chicago\u2019s West Side, an area plagued by crime. His father tried his best to ensure Terry didn\u2019t fall in with the wrong crowds. <\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be the male role model, a father that I didn\u2019t get a chance to experience,\u201d said Terry Smith Sr. \u201cI saw when he was 5 years old, sports would be his way to become a better man and have a better future.\u201d <\/p>\n

The younger Smith\u2019s inspiration started at home. Terry Smith Sr. played basketball at George Washington Carver Area High School (now Carver Military Academy). He graduated in 1984 as class Valedictorian and went to Purdue, where he earned his degree. <\/p>\n

Exceptional grades are the standard in the Smith household. Smith Jr. is on track to graduate with honors. His twin sisters, Tia and Tyra, attend Lindblom Math and Science Academy, a selective enrollment high school in West Englewood.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sisters are the smartest people that I know. They get all A\u2019s,\u201d Smith Jr. said. \u201cThey love to sit and watch the Discovery Channel. I don\u2019t know how they do it to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith Jr. currently has a 4.2 GPA and a 23 ACT score. His goal is to attend a college on a basketball scholarship and major in business administration. <\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be my own boss,\u201d Smith Jr. said. \u201cI don\u2019t want basketball to be my whole life. And I want to have my own business, then give back to the community. Right now, there isn\u2019t enough role models for people my age. No one can relate to us. As a big brother, I want my sisters to know what man they should have a future with.\u201d <\/p>\n

While Smith is an exceptional student, he\u2019s also a main factor in the Condors’ success. He is currently the team’s leading rebounder and has scored in double digits in 95 percent of games this season. His coaches and teammates call him the \u2018do-all\u2019 player and leader. <\/p>\n

\u201cOff the court, you wouldn\u2019t know TJ is around. He\u2019s just so quiet and to himself,\u201d team captain Elijah Joiner said. \u201cBut on the court he is the loudest person in the gym and constantly encouraging us to keep our energy up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTJ is one of those well-rounded student-athletes,\u201d Condors coach Mike Oliver said. <\/p>\n

Smith has enough focus and support at home to make sure he continues to succeed in every arena. <\/p>\n

“I want to be a contributor,” said Smith while taking some practice shots, “on the court and in the community. I want to contribute to do something great.” <\/p>\n

Photo at top: Curie’s Terry Smith Jr (34) goes for two points against East St. Louis in the Chicago Elite Classic (Photo by Worsom Robinson\/ For the Sun-Times.) (Astasia Williams\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Astasia Williams It\u2019s two hours before game time at Curie High School. There\u2019s one player shooting from the three-point line and 10 more under the hoop fighting for the rebound. Another player sits on the bleachers with his head bowed, blasting the new J. Cole song False Prophets through his Beats headphones. During the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":354,"featured_media":49661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,3516],"tags":[3634],"class_list":["post-49660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-winter-2017","tag-curie-high-school-basketball"],"yoast_head":"\nThe formula of Curie's Terry Smith Jr. - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/tupac-and-dedication-the-formula-of-terry-smith-jr\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The formula of Curie's Terry Smith Jr. - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Astasia Williams It\u2019s two hours before game time at Curie High School. 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