I went to college. I had a friend who wanted to be a lawyer. He spent a ton of money on his undergraduate degree, and then a ton of time and effort to be accepted into law school. He paid a lot of money for his first semester, but it was worth it for the opportunity to achieve his dream. However, during his first semester of law school, he was driving back to campus after a weekend home, he was killed in a wreck.
My friend never became a lawyer. These athletes are great, and yes, they bring in value for the schools in which they attend. But the university is nothing more than an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to earn a degree and compete in life and gain a rewarding career, and it provides athletes with the same opportunity. However, the achievement of those dreams for athletes and normal students alike is never guaranteed. Life happens, accidents happen.
All we are given is an opportunity, but sometime life is unfair. It’s not the NCAA’s fault Zion got hurt. Sure, Zion could’ve went straight to the NBA. The NCAA may not have been advantageous to Zion...but for every Zion there are 10 Steph Curry’s, Kawhi Leonards, Damien Lillards. These were guys who needed the opportunity the NCAA provided. The NCAA does pay, it pays in the career earned after college for athletes and normal students alike. It gave Jimmy Butler a shot at the NBA. Just like it gives others a shot to be a doctor or lawyer. But just because it provides opportunity doesn’t mean those aspirations of students and athletes will ever be fulfilled.
See, life can suck. It can be hard and it can be unfair. We as a society need to understand that there is no easy button, and not everything needs a “get out of jail free” card. Sometimes bad things happen, and we are left to deal with the aftermath. But instead of overcoming the obstacles in our path we want to pass blame. The thing is, there aren’t solutions to every issue. So, yes, Zion’s injury sucks. But it’s the nature of the game, it’s the nature of the career he chose to pursue. Yes, the NCAA makes a ton of money, but they made a ton of money before Zion, and they’ll make a ton after Zion. The NCAA doesn’t need Zion, and maybe guys like Zion, KG, Lebron and Kobe don’t really need the NCAA. But other players absolutely need the NCAA, and while yeah, the institution will make money off of these athletes, it also provides guys who had no shot of any type of success an opportunity to use their talent to earn a very lucrative career. And truthfully, as 18 year old kids, the only thing we should be fighting for is a chance, an opportunity to prove we can do great things, and college provides that. Just remember and opportunity is not a guarantee.
Also, D. Mitchell.....would he have even made the NBA without college?