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Opinion

One country cannot hold ‘The World'

Santiago Lopez
Opinion Columnist 

University of Texas freshman basketball player Kevin Durant announced this week that he will forgo the remainder of his college career in order to enter NBA draft. After a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and a sweep of all six major awards given to collegiate players in his sport, Durant did not have much left to prove. As far as sports go, it seems only a NCAA title could make his college career sweeter.

But the impact of Durant's decision to enter the professional ranks has a tremendous impact on up-and-coming athletes. The Houston Chronicle reported Durant's coach knew the freshman would not remain a part of the Longhorn basketball team past his inaugural season. The reason, according to the Austin American-Statesman, is the NBA stipulated last year that players wishing to enter the professional draft have to be 19 years old and have at least one year pass between high school and the pros. 

What this tells student athletes is that school is no longer a stepping stone to the professional ranks, but a place to stew while an eight-figure salary is put on hold thanks to an NBA rule -- a rule that did not keep the likes of Kobe Bryant and Lebron James from leaping from high school straight to the NBA and the vaults of money that awaited them.

So after leading the Big 12 Conference in scoring and rebounds, as well as having the second-highest total points for a freshman in NCAA history, Durant turns his back on the non-paying world of college basketball and faces a pile of cash once he signs with an NBA team. The Houston Chronicle reported Durant could earn as much as $15 million for his first three years in the league and upwards of $50 million via an endorsement deal with Nike.

Not bad for a kid who will only have one year of college under his belt.

What is bad is that children hear of such numbers and fantasize about a paycheck with their name on it along with a number followed by a lot of zeroes. Such an endeavor is tempting, but it also lessens the need for athletes to take their academic pursuits seriously. 

Why study algebra and literature when neither one will enable you to grab a rebound or make a game-winning three-point shot? Variables and Shakespeare are pish-posh compared to the earning power that comes from having a high free-throw percentage. Athletes will use hours that could have been spent studying to work on their vertical leap. This is wonderfully productive when the outcome is being able to buy your mother the mansion of her dreams and the sports car you've always wanted. 

If Durant really wanted to showcase his mettle, he could have remained in college and earned his undergraduate degree. He would have been a far better role model as an athlete with a college education instead of a millionaire with only a high school diploma on the wall. 

Durant needed only look to one of the NBA's best players, Michael Jordan, to see how important an education really is. Jordan, a scant two years after leaving school early to enter the NBA draft, returned to the University of North Carolina and completed his degree in geography. Though he did so while in Chapel Hill to rehabilitate an ankle injury, Jordan saw the importance of his education. When he was presented with a second opportunity to fulfill his degree requirements, he leapt at the chance to do just that. 

For a player as skilled and highly-paid as Jordan to take the time to finish his education speaks volumes about his character. One needs only look to his career achievements and his place in the pantheon of NBA greats to understand why every basketball player to enter the pro ranks has tried to mimic Jordan's every step. 

Well, almost every step. 

Jordan serves as such a strong a role model because of his dedication to the task at hand, whether it is improving his level of play or taking classes to finish his education. And now that he is retired from the game that not only made him wealthy but also an icon, Jordan has settled into his role as a businessman via his various ventures and part ownership of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, as well as heading the Air Jordan division of Nike. 

Though it may not be his college education but shrewd advisers who guide Jordan in his business dealings, he is still the model for athletes and aspiring athletes alike.

Durant needs to prove himself worthy before any comparison is made between him and Jordan. Thus far, Durant lags far behind Jordan; what he does off the court is just as important as his feats on the hardwood. So far, Durant has shown that he cares more about money than he does about preparing himself for life after the crowd stops cheering his name. 

Lopez, a creative writing senior, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu