Is it just I or could it be that the NBA seems to set a moral standard in the league? We all know that it is illegal for anyone associated with the NBA to talk to college and high-school athletes without an agent present. The league cracks down on those who infract these laws with hefty fines. The message is clear; the NBA does not want to “corrupt” collegiate athletics by tempting those with monetary value. Lets dig deep in this issue shall we. Recently hip-hop legend and mogul Shawn “Jay-z” Carter was investigated for having illegal contact with University of Kentucky men’s basketball team. The media mogul insisted that he wanted to congratulate the team’s success but was later fined. Jay-Z is a minority owner of the New Jersey Nets leaving the pro-team liable for his actions (Amick, 2011). However I see something wrong with this picture. How much do you think the University of Kentucky makes off of their athletic department? According to there 2010 budget, at least 72.65 million (Fy10 budget, 2010). U of K men’s basketball added 15.6 million to that total (Fy10 budget, 2010). Here is the problem. You have these young kids trying to get to the next level in their career while building a reputation for a college to draw in more athletes. Seems like a bit much. Sure these athletes receive athletic scholarships, but that’s about it. I have always believed that college athletes should receive a monthly stipend so they can steer clear of temptation. Do you remember the hummer controversy with Lebron James? The funny thing is, Lebron was still in high school when he was under investigation (Kindred, 2003). I think it is time for collegiate sports to pay up other than scholarships. Some of these kids don’t have family who can help them out during their tenure in school. With their schedule being so demanding, how else can they get by?
Reference
Amick, Sam. (2011, April 8). Nets fined $50k for jay-z 's visit.
Sports Illustrated, Retrieved from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/basketball/nba/04/08/nets.jay-z.fined/index.html
Fy10 budget. (2010). Manuscript submitted for publication,
Department of Athletics, University of Kentuck, Lexington, Kentucky. Retrieved from http://www.uky.edu/Athletics/Board/agenda/may09/2010ProposedBudgetppt.pdf
Kindred, Dave. (2003, February 10). Don't blame king james.
Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_6_227/ai_97450898/
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