Thursday, May 9, 1996Financial hardship a driving force in
prospects’ decisions
Several things always seem to happen in the month of May.
For starters, you’ll inevitably engage in an inner conflict
that’s reminiscent of Lincoln vs. Douglas, whether to go to a
discussion or go hit a big bucket of balls at the driving range.
(For those who don’t care for the wonderful game of golf, feel free
to replace the driving range with the beach, the shopping mall or
wherever else you might spend a sunny afternoon).
In the world of basketball, this happens to be the time when
everyone who is even minutely interested in hoops plays the role of
coach, business manager and moral judge without getting paid a dime
for doing any of those things.
The topic of interest: players forgoing their college
eligibility to enter the National Basketball Association draft.
This year, the discussion has included not only college students
forgoing a year or two, but high school students skipping college
altogether. With dreams of enjoying NBA success like their
predecessors  Moses Malone, Shawn Kemp and, most recently,
Kevin "Teen Wolf" Garnett  two high school seniors have shown
interest in going straight to the pros. Kobe Bryant has already
declared himself eligible, while Jermaine O’Neal will wait until
his SAT scores come back. But after showing up at the wrong school
to take his SAT in his most recent attempt to get the magic score,
the probability of O’Neal turning pro seems likely.
With not one, but two high school students entering the draft,
this year’s bunch will end up being one of the youngest groups of
players in the history of the NBA draft.
The list of college underclassmen include Stephon Marbury, Jeff
McInnis, Marcus Camby, Alan Iverson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Antoine
Walker, Randy Livingston and Jess Settles.
For college basketball, it’s painfully clear that the departure
of these would-be returning players hurts the teams they leave
behind.
Remember the California team in 1994-95? Just think how good the
Bears would have been if Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray would have
stayed in school. They could have easily been a Final Four
team.
Another case in point can be illustrated right here in Westwood.
Bruin fans will recall the UCLA squad of 1992-93, when we could
have used the services of the deadliest outside threat in the
nation, Tracy Murray. The most disappointing thing about the Murray
situation is that after being drafted by the Portland Trailblazers,
our alum managed to polish the pine on a nightly basis.
Given such unpredictable future in the initial years, why do
players come out of school early? First, there are some inherent
problems with the structure of the NBA and the NCAA that contribute
to this trend. The most prominent one is the rookie salary cap.
Instead of keeping college players in school for the duration of
their full eligibility, the cap has increased the players’ desire
to get the first three years out of the way so that they can make
the big money faster.
Another structural fallacy involves the NCAA. When a player
doesn’t get a certain score on the SAT, he/she must sit out his/her
first year of college. Therefore, when Jermaine O’Neal has the
skills to compete in the NBA, but the NCAA says it doesn’t want
him, the natural thing to do is to go to the pros and make some
money.
Despite these structural problems, most people would argue that
there is a personal choice at the root of the problem. No matter
how you look at it, these players are dropping a golden opportunity
to educate themselves so they can go make money in the NBA.
Inherent in this argument is a moral judgment that these young
men are so eager to make money that they can’t even wait a year or
two. But is the situation that simple?
As easy it is to portray these players as greedy young men who
are products of the decaying moral fabric of America, the real-life
circumstances that drive some of these players into such a move
explains a deeper problem of a harsh reality. For example, Antoine
Walker, who is coming out of Kentucky after just two seasons, said
in a news conference, "My family has worked hard their whole lives
to put me through school. I think it’s time for me to reward
them."
The story is similar for Shereef Abdur-Rahim of California, who
fought off tears and said, "My (parents) have sacrificed all their
lives. It’s time to give back."
While these young men might be better served to stay another
year or two in college, how can anyone in their right mind dismiss
these players as being selfish and driven by material wealth? In
reality, they are trying finally to escape the wrath of poverty
that they and their families have been stuck with throughout their
lives. Instead of being condemned, young men like Abdur-Rahim and
Walker should be praised.
I realize that I would see things a little less objectively if
one of the Bruins decided to turn pro. And, knowing that, I’m sure
glad that I don’t have to defend Charles O’Bannon or Toby Bailey
entering the NBA draft this year.