by Etan Thomas
Kevin Trahan of SB Nation reported that according to an ESPN.com survey of top football recruits, 60 percent of them would support unionizing and more than 86 percent are in favor of athletes receiving some sort of stipend.
Unionization would in fact change everything. Players would be able to challenge the NCAA to see the overall books, negotiate for a portion of the billion-dollar television deal behind March Madness, discuss BRI and FRI (basketball- and football-related income), and figure out how they should divide the money accordingly (just as they do now for coaches and everyone else working in the athletics program). They could add provisions so that universities could no longer do what Syracuse attempted to do to Nichole and take his or her scholarship away if they are injured and can no longer play. They could negotiate that all universities are required to cover medical expenses for former players if those expenses were a result of playing at the school. The opportunities are endless.
Despite an overwhelming number of people vehemently opposed to college athletes forming unions, the fact remains that a union would put pressure on the NCAA to change a lot of the things they have absolutely no intention or desire to change. Again, the system is working exactly how they designed it to work. And they do not want to relinquish their Scrooge McDuck hat. They have grown quite comfortable in their position.
In Time magazine Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has written:
Our relationship with college athletes is much clearer. We adore and revere them. They represent the fantasy of our children achieving success and being popular. Watching them play with such enthusiasm and energy for nothing more than school pride is the distillation of Hope for the Future. But strip away the rose-colored glasses and we’re left with a subtle but insidious form of child abuse. Which raises the question: How will things change? When I was a young, handsome player at UCLA, with a full head of hair and a pocket full of nothing, I sometimes had a friend scalp my game tickets so I could have a little spending money. I couldn’t afford a car, which scholarship students in other disciplines could because they were permitted to have jobs, so I couldn’t go anywhere. I got bored just sitting around my dorm room and frustrated wandering through Westwood, passing shops in which I couldn’t afford to buy anything.
To delve more deeply into this topic, I asked two members of the legendary Fab Five to share their experiences at Michigan and to further explain how the NCAA is not fair to its athletes. Jimmy King went on to play basketball in the NBA, while Ray Jackson—the only member of the Fab Five to never play in the NBA—was drafted into the Continental Basketball Association.
Etan: Talk to me about the education you received at Michigan on the economics of the NCAA.
Jimmy King: The things that we experienced firsthand as college freshmen being highly touted—we had no real idea about how the actual economics of college basketball worked. We understood some of the things, but it was a learning process . . . We came to the realization that if we did speak out about this, that it would have a tremendous impact on college basketball as a whole and our community as a whole. So we wanted to be advocates and not solely concerned with taking our piece.
Etan: So talk to me about what exactly y’all decided to do. Y’all stopped wearing the Michigan Wolverine warm-ups with the school logo on it.
Ray Jackson: That was something we decided to do as a team once we really began to discuss and pay attention to . . . the fact that we were being exploited. Sometimes you just have to take a stand. And to be honest, the entire process of the Fab Five was a protest. From the shorts to the socks to the demeanor, we wanted to get away from the norm. We wanted to enlighten people and we wanted to take everything to another level and represent the culture that we came from. And in the end, we wanted to reap the benefits from the foundation that we laid down . . . It wasn’t just the Fab Five; it was other guys that had been at Michigan, the seniors and juniors who all saw the money that was changing hands but was skipping over the student-athlete. We were all on the exact same page as far as this was concerned . . . It’s something we have to continue to educate the masses of college athletes on and express to them to not take this exploitation lying down.
Etan: When y’all see how high school football in Texas has become this incredible big-money sport, or when you watch the college football championship and you see these young men getting concussions and being permanently damaged in horrendous ways, and now the coaches are making six or seven million dollars per year, do you feel that in your heart—the gap between what is just, as far as compensation for the actual players?
King: Well, the numbers speak for themselves. I know that if you are comparing high school football to any other amateur athletics, it really isn’t comparable because high school football, particularly in Texas, has always been big business . . .
Jackson: When you start looking at the numbers like we did when we were at Michigan, and you start counting attendance and how many behinds can sit in those seats, and how much they pay to sit in those seats . . . it’s crazy. It’s absolutely ridiculous. And the thing that has to change as far as I’m concerned, while we are talking about the dollars, is the education of our kids at a young age. Young athletes need to know and understand that by the time you reach high school, you are actually playing for dollars. You’re just not seeing any of it, but it is definitely being made . . . The kids and the parents need to understand the process and the level of exploitation that is happening so that they fight for a percentage of the T-shirt money or concessions money, and things will change. We will be looking sometime in the future and discussing, “You remember how back in the day college athletes and high school athletes allowed themselves to be exploited to the tune of millions of dollars, and for some reason everybody was okay with it?” But it’s going to take being educated to realize how you are being exploited before you can be pushed to do something about it.
Etan: Y’all were part of this historical experience twenty-five years ago. The Fab Five will be talked about for decades to come. Do either of you have any regrets?
King: Looking back, easily Ray and I know that had we gone to a different school, that our NBA careers and long-term careers may have been more monetarily rewarding, but the education that we have received both on and off the court during our time at the University of Michigan has really allowed us to be the people we are supposed to be . . . I tell my kids all the time, basketball is a microcosm of life. The things you learn just from being around this game are going to prepare you for life. And there was no better preparation for life than being involved in the Fab Five and the things that we saw. And that’s what it’s about, the fight, and being educated on where we have come from historically as Black people, and not allowing the structure to suck in more of our community and our kids. So I would add on, not only do we need to educate the kids, but we need to liberate them . . . We really need to be on that focus. We have enough resources now to do that. We don’t need to look to Nike. If we pooled all of the athletes’ money right now, we could start something special . . . We have to meet those challenges head-on and be willing to fight for what’s right, fight for our education, fight for our brother, and fight for our survival in this society and in this day. And refuse to be silent and use our voice.
Interview with John Wall
In this new era of one-and-done athletes, I wanted to talk to John Wall about his willingness to speak out on various matters, including the exploitation of college athletes. John could easily avoid saying anything that might rock the boat and continue to soar in his fame and glory. But that’s not the route he has chosen for himself. He is fearless, appreciative, he honors the players who came before him, and he has paid attention to the activism of his predecessors. He doesn’t feel any restraints or fear any repercussions. This is the way it should be. I couldn’t imagine having to walk on eggshells or bite my tongue in an organization that wasn’t supportive of the fact that I was actually a human being who had opinions, thoughts, and beliefs outside of basketball.<
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Etan: I interviewed Ted Leonsis, the CEO of the Wizards, and I talked to him about how the Wizards are not one of those organizations that makes players feel that they can’t speak out on certain things that are in their hearts, whether it’s a murder at the hands of the police, actions taken by Donald Trump, or something going on in their city. Is that pretty accurate?
John Wall: Most definitely. Ted Leonsis is very observant just like we are. We see things that are going on in the community and throughout the world just like everyone else does. We also have opinions, just like everyone else does. And if we want to say something about it, he definitely gives us the leeway to speak our mind . . . When things happen in society, some things are bigger than basketball, and he understands that and we understand that.
Etan: That was my experience here as well. So, earlier this year, after the murders of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, Bradley Beal made a statement about it, and he received a tremendous amount of backlash from fans. But he didn’t retract his statement, and the Wizards didn’t force him to issue an apology to the fans he may have offended.
Wall: (Laughing) That would’ve been messed up. Do other organizations do stuff like that?
Etan: Well, you would be surprised. But my point is, it seems like current athletes as a whole are just a lot more comfortable speaking their minds now, and nobody is afraid.
Wall: Definitely. You can go back to the ESPYs when LeBron and D Wade and Melo and Chris Paul went up there and spoke . . . I mean, they were on that big of a stage, talking about police brutality, talking about Black Lives Matter, telling the world that there was something wrong with the system, and then challenging everyone to do something about it. They had a call to action in front of the entire world. And they organized that themselves . . . That right there showed the whole world that not only do our top guys, the faces of our league, care, but they want to do something about it. Whether you are retired or you’re still playing, or even about to get drafted, or in college, you have a lot of say so. People look at everything we do, and are definitely going to pay attention to everything we say.
Etan: You mention college athletes, and I want to ask you about the NCAA. Do you think it’s a fair system?
Wall: I definitely think they should pay them, and no, that system is nowhere near fair . . . People keep saying that we . . . should be grateful for the opportunity of the college experience, and that’s really a slap in the face. That’s like, “Shut up and be grateful.” Of course they should pay college athletes, but they won’t do it unless somebody makes them do it. Everything is working the way they want it to work. They not gonna just all of a sudden start paying college athletes because they feel bad for exploiting us for all these decades, just like they are not going to lower the tuitions, which are astronomical, because they feel bad.
Etan: I feel you. And I will also add that I think it’s incredibly selfish for fans to be upset when guys leave college early.
Wall: Man, I can talk about this all day . . . I do think that you have exceptions, of course, like LeBron and Kobe, but most guys, just from a development standpoint, need to go to college. And a lot of coaches out there were criticizing Coach [John] Calipari, saying that he doesn’t care about their education [at the University of Kentucky] and is encouraging a “one-and-none” system. Well, your student did three years, and he didn’t get a degree either . . . But here’s the thing: you can always go back and get your degree, like I am doing. I take classes in the off-season, and I will get my degree. You have some guys . . . who are four-year guys, and they still don’t get their degree . . . If it’s not your focus, it’s not going to happen no matter how long you physically stay there.
Etan: That’s a good point.
Wall: But if you come back to school and . . . you get injured, you may have very well forfeited your chance of ever playing in the NBA. It’s a gamble with your career. Anything can happen in that year of you being a “student-athlete.” Millions of dollars are at stake. Would they risk millions of dollars for a degree that they can always go back and get? That’s not even realistic. Nobody would do that. If you are in college, and say a Fortune 500 business wants to hire you at the end of your sophomore year and guarantees you a six-figure salary, and allows you to go back to get your degree, what would you do? What, not go because you need to stay in school for what reason?
You would take advantage of that opportunity . . . That’s the advice Coach Cal gives his players and it’s good advice. I promised my dad before he passed that I was going to go get my degree, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Etan: So what do you think it’s going to take for this system to change?
Wall: Well, I think the NBA is going to have to get involved . . . You have to create a system where guys can develop and don’t have to choose between being exploited or taking care of their families . . . If they create a system that will provide the players with, let’s start off with a percentage of what their particular university is making off them, then maybe that will be enough incentive for them to stay and develop, and not be forced to leave early for financial reasons.
Etan: And of course the first argument is, “How are we going to pay everyone?” Well, if your sport is not generating any money, then you are not worried about leaving early. But even if you want to have all of the sports covered, there is enough to go around for everyone to get something. When you have college coaches all making millions, there is enough to go around for everyone.
Wall: Exactly. Everybody is getting paid but the athletes. You mean to tell me that you can’t take some of that money that the coaches are making and divvy that up between the players?
Chapter 13
Education Matters
Coach Carter is one of my favorite movies to show young athletes. For those who haven’t seen it, it’s a riveting film inspired by the true story of a coach (played by Samuel L. Jackson) who takes over a struggling high school basketball team in Richmond, California. Coach Carter is cut from a different cloth and doesn’t tolerate bad team chemistry or students not taking their education seriously. The school board rejects his methods and even fires him when he puts the entire team on academic ineligibility.
Like many schools, the school in the movie is only concerned with wins. The team is undefeated, and more wins usually translates into more money for the schools. But Coach Carter takes on the entire town, parents, community, and school board, who are all furious with him for shutting down the season until the players bring up their GPAs.
I showed this to some of Malcolm’s teammates while we were on our way to a Wizards game; I wanted to use the movie as a teaching tool. And the message definitely resonated. I told the boys how I grew up with guys who didn’t have a coach like this, someone who held them accountable, made sure they respected themselves enough to give their absolute best both on and off the court.
One character in the movie, Junior, can hardly even read. How can a student make it all the way through middle and high school, become a senior like Junior, and not be able to read? That’s a catastrophe, but it happens. This is art depicting real life. And when you are finished playing, after school has used you all they possibly can, they may not return your phone calls because they don’t need you anymore. They have moved on. Which is why it is so upsetting to see so many guys put all of their eggs in one basket. No preparation, no future planning, nothing to fall back on. There have been so many guys I grew up with who I know should have made it to the NBA before me, but they lacked the discipline that Coach Carter demanded from his players—the preparation, the focus—and made a lot of bad decisions that not only ruined their sports careers but essentially ruined their lives.
I told the boys that getting your college paid for is an accomplishment in itself. Using basketball to get a degree, where you don’t have to spend the rest of your life in debt trying to pay off student loans and you can use that education to better yourself, is a huge achievement. Although so many people as
sume basketball is your only ticket out, in actuality it is much easier for you to become a doctor, lawyer, agent, businessperson, or entrepreneur than it is to become a professional athlete.
Chris, our center, was the first in the group with a question. He asked if most schools only care about what you can do on the court. I told him yes, unfortunately. I shared how my high school coach, Nate Harris, would give me the hardest time because I was just as focused on speech-and-debate as I was on basketball. He told me that I was wasting my time and needed to be focused on basketball and nothing else. I remembered telling him that I was really good, and winning in numerous categories—poetry, original oratory, standard oratory, and dramatic interpretation. His reply was simply that I needed to get my priorities straight. My response was to win a state championship in speech-and-debate and in basketball during my senior year. The boys all looked at me with eyes wide open, and I told them to never let anyone limit you academically, not even your coach.
I then asked them if they noticed the part in the film where Samuel L. Jackson talks about the school’s statistics. Tra Quan, one of our point guards, said he remembered Jackson’s character explaining that only half of the students are expected to graduate, and out of that, a large percentage of them are girls. Josh, one of our other centers, remembered that among young Black males who drop out of school, a large percentage of them will end up dead or in jail. I said, “Exactly.” Then I asked if they saw what ended up happening to all of the guys on the team. In unison, the boys said, “They all went to college and played ball.” I said, “Exactly, but if Coach Carter wasn’t there, they probably wouldn’t have made it to college.” I then went into a rather lengthy monologue about how the system is set up for them to fail, and that adults aren’t being honest enough with them about this fact. I told them to read Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, a book about the mass incarceration of Black Americans. And that when they pick what school they want to play for, they should pay attention to the coaches’ philosophies—if they are activists like Coach Carter, fighting the system, standing up for their education, and leading them the right way; or if they are only concerned with their play on the court.