In the past two weeks I've been asked, "why don't you write about the NBA
Draft?" My reply has simple been - "For what?" Hopeful Wizards' fans told me
to "write about Kwame Brown" or asked "what's your opinion on high school
players being drafted in to National Basketball Association?" My answer, "So
what?"
Eventually all the questions began to make me think about how do I feel about
the league drafting high school ballers. At first I was undecided, torn
between the reasoning of entering into a pool of shady sharks and hungry
piranhas or choosing the better lifestyle these young players can afford to
provide for themselves and their families. So I posed the question to myself:
"Truth, what would you do if someone offered you 10 million dollars?" Hey,
I'm not stupid. I would take the money and run, jump, and shoot. It's
unfortunate, not everyone is born with a platinum spoon in the mouth and, in
many cases, this cruel world puts us in situations where you're either going
to have to "sling rock or have a wicked jump shot." So why not use your gifts
to better your life? On that point, there will be no player hating from me.
Realistically though, not every player is going to be successful in this
game.
With that in mind, it brings up a serious point. What kind of support system
will be provided for these teenagers?
This year's draft saw three high school players drafted in the top 4 with
Kwame Brown being the number one pick for the Washington Wizards. Their
athleticism is undeniable and there is a good chance they will make a strong
impact on their teams and the NBA, but my concern isn't what they can present
on the hardwood. Instead, how will they be able to adapt to the industry of
high rollers and money-hungry, blood sucking corporate types in the skyboxes?
How will they deal with constant media attention and the suits with quick
investment schemes?
In the 70s Moses Malone led the charge by becoming the first high school
player to be drafted and more than held his own against some of the NBA's
heavyweights. In recent years, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnet have accomplished
feats that no one could foresee so early in their careers. Today's players
have become stronger, faster, and more talented than the Six Million-Dollar
Man, but their also younger. The National Basketball Association has grown
beyond anyone's imagination in the last 30 years and therefore the pressure
to succeed is a lot greater. The actions of their players are magnified both
on and off the court.
Teams seem to make a concerted effort to send their talent scouts to high
schools and evaluate each city's All-State athletes. They offer big contracts
and the opportunity to fulfill dreams. Unfortunately, the NBA doesn't offer a
support base to prepare athletes for the many different pressures routinely
thrown at them. With these obscenely opulent contracts, the respective
organizations and/or the NBA should be held responsible for educating the
ballers they draft. One possibility is providing encouragement to young
players to go into college and at least complete an Associate degree. There
was a time when athletes would have to aggressively pursue college to even be
noticed by the NBA. The better the college, the better your chances are of
getting noticed.
Its important for the teams drafting these players to look beyond the dollars
and cents and invest some resources into educating them on some of the
pitfalls they may encounter. If a multi-million dollar organization is
willing to spend time and money to scout and sign 18-year-old athletes, then
it should be responsible enough to provide mentoring programs. On the flip
side these young players must understand from the very beginning that they're
a product of big business. Once they're no longer an incentive or they are
becoming a liability they'll be "outta there." My advice to Kwame, Tyson and
the other big balers: invest some of that lucrative contract into learning
the game outside the game. I would hate to see you RIDE THE BENCH.
To comment on this or any other column by Drew "The Truth" Alexander, email
ridethebench@metroconnection.info. |