Josh Smith, a 13-year NBA veteran, asserted his belief in HBCU hoops at the NBA Player Association's HBCU Top 50 Camp over the summer. Smith gave a quick interview to Mason Smith, a writer for the Pocono Record and graduate of Alabama State University. Although the interview took place months ago, the contents of Smith's statements ring true as the college basketball season kicks off.

“They're just as talented as the guys that play in those Power 5 schools,” Smith said. “They just don't have the resources or the necessities to be able to be seen. But, like I said, this top-50 camp is giving them a great opportunity to be able to get seen and to get heard. I kind of feel like, to bridge the gap between the big colleges that you hear of – like Duke and North Carolina – and the colleges that you don't hear – like Bethune-Cookman – I kind of feel like facilities: If [HBCU players] have better facilities, better opportunities to get themselves conditioned and ready to be able to play on the court at a high level, I think that can mend the gap a little bit.”

Fans of the NBA between the mid-200s and mid-2010s will easily remember Josh Smith, even though he retired years ago. Although he didn't go to college, Smith entered his name in the NBA Draft. The Atlanta Hawks took him with the No. 17 overall pick where he stayed  for most of his career. Despite his scoring ability and defensive prowess, the Hawks never got past the second round of the playoffs with Smith. In his best season, Smith averaged 18.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He made the All-Rookie team in 2006 and an All-Defensive team in 2010. Smith retired with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018.

The NBAPA's HBCU Top 50 Camp is a partnership between the NBAPA, the SWAC, and the SIAC. The goal is to expose top-tier HBCU basketball talent to elite coaching and inter-conference competition. The camp took place between July 27-29 on Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University's campuses.