Nicholls guard Smith saves best move of Mobile game for last in proposal to girlfriend

Diante Smith saved his best move on the court after the game.

Following Nicholls’ 74-65 win over Mobile on Saturday afternoon, the senior guard got down on one knee. With red roses and a ring, Smith proposed to his girlfriend, Joia Bradfield.

“It was a very sentimental game. I got (to see) some old high school teammates and my coaches from when we played in fourth grade came out to the game. I asked my girlfriend to marry me – the one that I’ve been thinking that she was the one for me for a long time. I just went through with my move and happy that she said yes,” said Smith.

“I think it was a great move,” said teammate Byron Ireland. “He’s ready for his life. Me, personally, I’m not ready for that, but I think it was a great move. I’m happy for him.”

Smith is a senior transfer from the University of South Alabama. He had coaches and players in town from his youth days of AAU basketball, along with some former teammates from the Mobile school.

Part of the plan was to be able to propose after a win. Smith took matters into his own hands, scoring 20 points and a team-high eight rebounds after Nicholls fell behind 37-32 at halftime.

Ireland helped matters by scoring a game-high 24 points.

“I thought he was going to propose before Christmas,” Nicholls coach Tevon Saddler said. “I was sitting in my office (Friday), and he told me. It kind of caught me off guard. First and foremost, we had to win. I told him he wanted to do it on the court.”

The final game of 2023 will no doubt be one that Smith and all those associated will not forget.

“That was my favorite part of the day,” said Saddler. “Things like that is the reason I coach. I’m so happy for him, and for them. I’m just so happy we got to get the win today so he could do it.”