Schooled: Pro Athletes Going Back to Class
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What Happened:
Professional athletes have it made, right? They make millions of dollars to play a game. They hire people to handle everything from personal appearances to investments. Though many athletes hone their games in college, some feel they don’t need the education college provides.
Others, though, beg to differ.
According to The New York Times, about 10 percent of the athletes in the National Basketball Association are going back to school to get the diplomas they didn’t earn as student athletes. New students include Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Many are looking ahead to life after basketball. While the average NBA salary is $5.85 million a year, about 60 percent of professional basketball players are bankrupt within five years of retiring. In the National Football League, the bankruptcy rate is close to 80 percent.
Debbie Rothstein Murman, a director for career development for the NBA’s players union, encourages players to look ahead. “What do they need to equip themselves with their next passion when they finish basketball?” she says. “Where are they going to make their next marks?”
Talk About It:
Do you think it’s a good idea for college athletes to graduate, even if they’re on target to go professional? Why or why not? Do you think they should have to graduate before going into the pros?
What do you want to do with your life when you graduate from school? What are your dreams?
Do you have a backup plan – just in case? What is it?
What the Bible Says:
“How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver” (
“A wise man is full of strength and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory” (
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