Kenny Smith, a two-time NBA champion and prominent broadcaster, has been appointed head of Next Stars' player initiatives in North America for the National Basketball League's Next Stars program, the league announced.

The appointment of Smith will see him actively recruit, develop and mentor new Next Stars players, with the NBL hoping his status and network within the American basketball ecosystem will bolster the program.

Smith, 59, will also become a part owner of an NBL expansion team, set to be announced in the near future.

"With my passion for growing the game of basketball globally, I'm incredibly excited to be an ambassador of the NBL's Next Stars program and to be fully invested in the growth of the NBL as a future owner of a new expansion team," Smith said.

"Legitimate pathways to the NBA are evolving, and the NBL has a proven track record of getting players drafted. The NBL identified a key role for me to mentor and support young talent and equip them with the tools to compete at a professional level with a view to making the leap into the NBA."

The Next Stars program was created ahead of the 2018-19 NBL season, with the aim of providing a platform for draft-eligible talent to compete in ahead of the NBA draft. Eight players have been drafted out of the program, including three in the lottery: LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, and Ousmane Dieng. Over the years, the initiative has also included draft-and-stash talent.

Eight of the NBL's 10 teams had a Next Stars player as part of a roster for the 2023-24 season, headlined by the Perth Wildcats' Alexandre Sarr, who's No. 2 on ESPN's most recent 2024 NBA mock draft.

"We are extremely proud of our Next Stars program and what it has achieved but this is just the beginning," Larry Kestelman, owner of the NBL, said.

"The addition of ambassadors and future team owners of Kenny Smith's caliber and reputation is truly exciting and shows how far we have come, but also indicates to the basketball world where we are headed."

"There are currently 11 former NBL players in the NBA and we want to see that number increase significantly and we believe Kenny will help us expand the Next Stars program dramatically to achieve this. We are quickly becoming the most legitimate, and best pathway to the NBA."

The program was initially introduced as an alternative to the college basketball system, primarily targeting one-and-done talent. The NBA responded by creating a developmental basketball team of its own, NBA G-League Ignite, but that program will fold at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, largely due to the rise of the NCAA's name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy and transfer portal.

The NIL policy allows student-athletes to earn money off their personal brand, making college basketball a significantly more palatable option for high-level talent who have the capacity to leverage their popularity. NIL still poses a hurdle for the NBL when recruiting top talent around the world, but, with the dismantling of Ignite, the Next Stars program now has one fewer competitor.

"Well, now it's extremely great because there's no G League Ignite team," Smith said.

"So, this gives you an opportunity, under the mentorship that I can provide, and the guidance and understanding, of what it is to be a pro. I understand what the American athlete is doing from every level. I have one of the top AAU basketball teams for years. I do college basketball March Madness Final Four, and I'm the voice of the NBA. So, there's no one that knows every aspect that they're (players) trying to get in the world probably than me.

"This is going to be the pathway. This is going to be the pathway for the young man who feels that his skills are higher than college, but also wants to keep his draft stock and also learn how to be a pro, earlier. We are going to show you how to have the responsibility fall on you, today.

"Oh, it's physical because you're playing against not just 17-year-olds or 18-year-olds, you're playing against men. But what that also allows you to understand is not only the physicality of the game, it'll get you ready for your next step, which is the ultimate goal from going from the NBL to the NBA."