Jordan Smith Jr. Gives Back to His Southeast DC Community With First Giveaway

Long before the first guests arrived at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, Jordan Smith Jr. was already inside the gym, quietly stacking shoe boxes under the morning lights.

He had actually already been down at college, but he traveled back home specifically for the event, arriving at the gym at 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, ready to go to work alongside his family. Backpacks went on the first table, where his father, Jordan Smith Sr., was setting up. T-shirts covered the second. Shoes lined the third, where his mother, Arkia Allen, would spend the afternoon. His aunt, Ninotchica "Nina" Allen, and his grandmother, Gloria Alford, manned the check-in table at the door. Smith is a New Balance athlete, and his partnership with the brand made the giveaway possible: the company sent more than 100 pairs of shoes, 100 backpacks, and 100 shirts for local students. The family wanted everything sorted before the first child looked through the glass.

Jordan Smith Sr. works the first table families reached, handing out one of the 100 New Balance backpacks. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Arkia Allen spent the afternoon at the shoe table, where every pair was distributed. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Smith grew up in Southeast DC, once on the receiving end of afternoons exactly like this one. That is the part of his story that mattered most that Sunday.

His high school career had already made him a national name. Less than three months after graduating from Paul VI Catholic, where he won his final WCAC championship, Smith departed the DMV having swept virtually every major National High School Player of the Year honor in existence. By August, he had officially transformed into Arkansas' No. 23, a highly anticipated five-star freshman guard set to play under head coach John Calipari.

Calipari is famously known for mentoring elite, explosive guards and transforming them into foundational NBA lottery selections. Smith steps into Fayetteville as the latest prodigy in a historic line of Calipari guards, joining the ranks of Derrick Rose (2008, No. 1 overall), reigning back-to-back league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2018, No. 11 overall), Tyrese Maxey (2020, No. 21 overall), who recently earned All-NBA Third Team honors, and last year's standout freshman pick, Darius Acuff Jr., who went No. 7 overall to the Sacramento Kings in the 2026 draft.

Smith announced his commitment to Arkansas before Paul VI's senior night game, where Razorbacks coach John Calipari, second from right, made a surprise appearance. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Now, he was back in the gym early, showcasing another elite skill: giving back to his community.

"It's important to me to have this event because it was important to give back to my community as they have poured so much into me and my pathway to college," Smith said in a text message.

His mother recognized that same spirit. "As a parent, seeing your kid be able to do something like this for his community really puts pure happiness in my heart," Arkia Allen said. "He is an inner-city kid himself and knows what it's like to participate in back-to-school events, and he was very appreciative of anything he received. To be the person on the opposite end, doing the giveaway, is truly a blessing."

By the time the tables were ready, the line filled the lobby. Kids pressed up to the glass and played while they waited. At 12:59 p.m., the DJ started the music and the doors opened.

Families fill the lobby as the check-in table works through the line before the doors open. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Children patiently waited in line, receiving each item with a grin on their face. The last stop for the families was the one thing nobody could carry home in a bag: a handshake and a picture with Smith. He shook the hand of everyone who approached. When the room hit its peak and the lines backed up, his demeanor never changed.

Smith with attendees holding the shoes and shirts they just received. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Smith poses with a young attendee. David Gaylor/The NSMT

With over 100 people coming through, every item was gone before 2 p.m.

Families move through the tables as the afternoon crowd builds. David Gaylor/The NSMT

The shoe table works through the line inside the gym. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Down the hall, CapeTown DMV turned a quieter room into a temporary barbershop. The nonprofit sends volunteer beauty professionals to community events around the region. With school starting Monday, every child in a barber's chair received a fresh haircut for the first day. It was calmer there than in the gym, where the DJ kept playing. When Smith walked in, a look of true happiness came over his face. He smiled and thanked everyone for coming.

A CapeTown DMV volunteer barber gives a student a fresh haircut before the first day of school. David Gaylor/The NSMT

A student arrives with a parent to pick up school gear from the giveaway. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Back in the gym, he found other ways to show appreciation. He signed backpacks, shirts, and the lids of shoe boxes. He got out on the court, played one-on-one, and shot around. Then, he stopped to work with a boy, maybe 10 years old, on his shooting form.

Smith signs a backpack for an attendee. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Smith guides a young player's hands through his shooting form. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Smith plays one-on-one with a young fan on the Turkey Thicket court. David Gaylor/The NSMT

The next shot missed, but the kid kept shooting, and for a while, Smith watched him, continuing to offer tips and critique.

That was the whole afternoon in one possession: the consensus national player of the year, hours away from heading back to campus, standing next to a kid from his own city who was not ready to stop yet.

Smith wrote that he hoped meeting him showed the children "that I am a very approachable and a caring person who loves to talk to people and get to know people."

Attendees display the backpacks and shoes handed out during the giveaway. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Jordan Smith Sr., who prefers to stay out of the limelight, kept his thoughts brief. "I'm proud of him and everyone who helped make it happen," he said.

"I love watching my nephew take genuine joy in the happiness of others," Nina Allen said. "You can always catch him pausing just to soak in everything happening around him. He is deeply grateful for the opportunity, and his passion for giving back is both clear and contagious."

Attendees show off the backpack, shirt and shoes they carried out of the gym. David Gaylor/The NSMT

A few of the many jerseys in the Smith family's collection, hung on the gym wall for the giveaway. David Gaylor/The NSMT

DMV fans who want to see him play next will have to wait until Nov. 8, when Arkansas faces Virginia in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena, the Razorbacks' only DMV stop on their published schedule. Tipoff is 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

Before he left to go back to college that same evening, Smith asked for one picture with everyone who worked the event, and he already knew where he wanted to take it.

"Can we take it on the bleachers?"

Other people had been filling bleachers for him for years. That Sunday, he sat in them himself, alongside his family and the volunteers who ran his first giveaway, in the city that used to hand him the backpack.

Smith, his family and the volunteers who ran the event, on the Turkey Thicket bleachers. David Gaylor/The NSMT

Photo credit: David Gaylor/The NSMT