Nova Scotia basketball star builds dream ball court for his hometown

Shaquille Smith knows how some outsiders view his hometown of North Preston, N.S. 

"I have people outside of my community thinking I'm supposed to be a drug dealer from the time I'm in Grade 5. That doubt starts to seep in your mind, and you're thinking, 'I'm not supposed to be here,'" Smith told Now or Never.

Smith found those doubts hard to shake. Due to poor grades, he nearly lost a prestigious basketball scholarship to Acadia University — and a part of him questioned if he was even meant to be there.

Although he had exceptional grades in high school, Smith said that when he got to university he couldn't shake the internalized stigma he held against his community. He believed that getting into university itself was exceeding expectations.

"That kind of fuelled me being complacent, because [I was] taking my eye off the ball, and not thinking about what's next."

Fighting back against stigma 

For years, North Preston has been plagued by a reputation of being a dangerous place rife with violence and crime. It's a perception that Smith has now dedicated himself to fighting. 

Smith eventually found his way — and found a fierce pride in his community. He became a university basketball star and graduated with a business degree. He's now using his platform to inspire the youth in the community.

This year, he helped raise $300,000 to build a professional-grade outdoor basketball court in North Preston. It's currently in construction, and will be ready in spring 2019.

"We're planning big things for the grand opening. I'm thinking food trucks, music playing, bleachers are going to be filled, and everyone just having a good time," Smith said.

Life beyond basketball

North Preston is home to some of the most elite young basketball players that Canada has to offer, many of whom aspire to play professionally. But Smith is on a mission to encourage youth to think about life beyond basketball. His plan is to use the sport as a hook to draw kids into a larger conversation about their futures.

"I just want to wave the red flag — do not get complacent in your first year [of university]. Start thinking about your career. If basketball doesn't work out, you're still able to get your degree, and you can use that to build your life after basketball."

For Smith, it's not just about trying to change the stigma attached to North Preston. Instead, he's hoping the youth will look within themselves.

"We're just setting the bar way too low for ourselves as a community. I'm just trying to inspire the kids to think a bit bigger."

Originally aired in December, 2018