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VOL 3. NO. 25 Monday, July 2 - Sunday, July 8, 2001
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SPORTING ACTION - RIDE THE BENCH
"3 out of 4"
By Drew "The Truth" ALEXANDER

Kwame Brown, courtesy photo

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.


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