12Nov/0843
Hypothetically speaking
Ok, here's my first of many hypothetical basketball questions: Your son is 12-years-old, he's 6'3", and wears a size 17 shoe. He's a great kid, very normal, watches cartoons, wears a onezie -- a Spiderman onezie -- and he loves basketball. At 12, he's dunking and is dominating his grade.
As his parent, a shoe company comes up to you and offers you 14 million dollars; 1 million dollars a year until the draft, and if he gets drafted you get $9 million. The catch is, he has no chance of going to college due to the violation rules. What would you do?
November 12th, 2008 - 16:49
Man, Channing, this is a tough question.
As a firm believer in education, I’d like to think that daddy me would choose the route of an education, and if the kid really is that good, he can make money with endorsements after. I really think College does more than just give you a set of skills, it also lets you learn about yourself, and how you interact to the world around you.
That being said, I think stories like Brandon Jennings will be more and more common, students seeking money, rather than academics. And if NBA contracts aren’t there instead of College, they’ll head to Europe.
I can’t honestly say I wouldn’t consider, and possibly even taken, millions and millions of dollars, if the choice was mine.
November 12th, 2008 - 17:24
Take the money and set up a fund for the kid. If he plays ball and goes pro great. He makes some extra cash. If he wants to go to school he can, just not playing on the ball team. If something bad (injury) happens he can attend college like anyone else.
He is set for life at 12 with only the minor downside of not being able to play college ball.
November 12th, 2008 - 17:31
are you kidding me? I would totally agree! with 14 millions dollars or more saved you can live without working at ease.
November 12th, 2008 - 17:46
Honestly, that’s a lot of money. You’re guaranteed $5 mill, which – even if the kid doesn’t get drafted – is enough to put him through college (even though he would be disqualified from participating in athletics).
I think you take it. What if (God forbid) he got hurt and couldn’t play anymore? It’s not often that you’re guaranteed $5 mill in a lifetime, let alone at the age of 12. You take that, then take a shot at getting into the Association after high school, and use the cash to pay for college when you have the time for it.
November 12th, 2008 - 18:58
Speaking as a parent of 3, I think I’d take the money. Even if it doesn’t pan out and your boy isn’t the next great thing, you still get $5 million in the bank with which to fully fund a college education for him at whatever college he chooses, and ALL of your kids, and probably their kids as well. If things go well, he can play in Europe for the extra year of experience, ala Brandon Jennings, and then still be a high draft pick!
November 12th, 2008 - 22:33
Take the money – he could still go to college on his own time if he cared too – just not play ball right? I think college is overrated too. I loved it, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t need it.
November 12th, 2008 - 22:43
This is so very hypothetical as I don’t even have a kid. That said, first I would make sure I have clarity in myself as to all the positives and the negatives of accepting that much money. Then I would talk it over with the 12 year old, making sure he understands this is his future, and his choice, and we will be a happy family regardless of which way he chooses, and hopefully I would have already raised him well enough to know that money doesn’t buy happiness, and that this is a complicated decision.
November 13th, 2008 - 02:59
Well first I would consider all the possibilities of what couuld happen either way. Then I would talk to my child and explain to him that if he took the deal, he can’t play college basketball. But I don’t think that means he couldn’t attend college does it? It just means he is ineligable for sports right? So I would explain that to him as well. But I would also explain that if he took the deal he could go over to Europe and play for a year or two or however many years until the scouts think he’s ready to come over and play. Essentially the decision would be a joint decision between me and my kid. If he really wanted to play at somewhere specific say Georgetown or something every since he was little, I would tell him to not give up on his dream of playing there. But either way, if he chose to take the money or go to college I’d just let him know I support him and just want what he wants.
(In my heart though, I would hope he took the money because what if things dont work out and say he’s not good, or God forbid he becomes like that really tall kid from UNC Asheville Kenny George (minus the partial foot amputation, sorry Kenny George) where he is so tall that he is kind of uncoordinated, then he would at least have a nest egg to fall back on. That would fund his college education right there and with the right investments set him up for life. But that’s just between us right?)
November 13th, 2008 - 10:25
TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN!!!!!!!!
You can always go back to college after his hoops days are done or even between summers.
November 13th, 2008 - 10:39
Good question, I would take the money and put it in a trust fund, that way if he doesn’t make the league, he can afford college. If he doesn’t make the league he can afford to send himself over seas. He could do whatever he decided at that point. That’s guaranteed money with no risk, not taking it the risk would be that he could get hurt.
November 13th, 2008 - 11:39
He can still go to school, he just can’t play for the school’s basketball team. Take the money.
November 13th, 2008 - 12:00
The kid is twelve and wears a onezie… obviously he isn’t the most mature of individuals. So perhaps his body has developed well, but his brain certainly hasn’t. And the only reason that buzzard shoe company wants to give him millions is so they can make him a household name. Considering the fact that kiddo probably is in need of a lot more development, I would consider national stardom a horrible option. If you can hang for seven more years and the kid really has what it takes, then you’ve got it made. But give a kid like that access to 14 mil, and he’s lucky if it lasts past age 21.
November 13th, 2008 - 13:15
I would love to take the money because it is so much freaking money, but I think I would be selling out your son’s future. If I could afford sending him to college with a scholarship, then I I would like him to experience college for his development into a well rounded young man. Not that skipping college doesn’t make you less well rounded. I just think it is important for a young person to experience college.
It also just seems unethical. It’s forcing your son into a future instead of letting him make a choice.
I’m trying to sound all ethical like but if you handed me a million dollars cash and said I just had to do something wrong, there is a good chance I’d do it. I just don’t like the pressure it puts on your son.
November 13th, 2008 - 14:12
you were still wearing onezies until you were like 14 werent you???
November 14th, 2008 - 00:00
money. every day of the week. you can live off 5 mil.
November 14th, 2008 - 03:21
I would def have my kid get at least 1 year of college. 1)Game knowledge will be much better
2)He’ll know how to sign his name
3)You know if he gets into the NBA he will never forget his parents
4)So he can go be a Wildcat
November 14th, 2008 - 07:49
I guess i would (hesitantly) advise him to take the money. But ultimately would let him make the final call.
If he was to go to college and not get drafted into the nba, a normal American life would be about 35 years of work and then retirement. So a little bit a math….
14 000 000 / 35 = 400 000
and its got him making $400,000 a year. Pretty f*cking good. And this doesn’t factor in investments and interest +++$$$
Either way you look at it…skipping college, skipping nba, not skipping nba, being an ‘average’ person, whatever happens
14mil > college
November 14th, 2008 - 07:51
errrrr correction.
5 mil / 35 = 142,857
still not bad
November 14th, 2008 - 12:36
Take the money then kick that kid to the curb!
November 14th, 2008 - 12:43
you mean you would get $14 million bucks but wouldn’t be able to get your degree in liberal arts or social studies? ooooo…. that’s a tough one.
i would take the spacebucks – hire a tutor – then buy my friends steak frites. and bud lights. well, so long as your friends are over 21. under age drinking is not something the 6 million dollar man should do. i mean 14 million dollar man. well boy.
wait… if the shoe company is pro wings then i take ALL of that back.
November 14th, 2008 - 15:16
Channing, you’ve had some nice blocks this year! At the rate you reject junk, your teammates should call you “Spermicide”!
November 14th, 2008 - 15:17
you take the money and see if he makes it to the show. He can still go to college he just can’t get an athletic scholarship, but with that kind of green you should be able to afford College. Otherwise get a good financial advisor, and live on the interest, you go to college to make a good living. You got that money you can do whatever you want. Easy…Good question.
November 14th, 2008 - 16:33
Money in the Bank. Get a good lawyer/financial advisor, tutor, agent and marketing team, even if he cant make it to the Show, some European team will keep his pockets lined well into his 30’s.
Ask Josh Childress.
November 14th, 2008 - 17:07
Take the money is the obvious choice. All of these moral ideals go out the window at about half a million. Once your hypothetical child had an opportunity like this, it would be stupid not to take advantage for your childs sake. This is a hypothetical so, what if the child remains 6′2″ and has clown feet, likes basketball but can’t develope into a player. As a parent wasting that potential payday would be enough to make you want to jump off of something really high. All parents ever hope for is to be able to take care of thier kids. Let me spell it out for you. Five million. Taken care of!
November 14th, 2008 - 17:19
Take the money. Have him play professionally or go to college in Europe for a year after high school and then declare for the draft.
November 14th, 2008 - 17:55
I am a strong believer in education. And an educated man would tell you to take the money and run. Worst case scenario… your son buys himself into yale. People never seem to understand that college isnt going anywhere. If Bill Gates offered a young engineering student a few mill to leave early and go work for him, he or she wouldnt think twice.
November 16th, 2008 - 13:40
You gotta take the cash
November 17th, 2008 - 00:06
Too much money to make this hard. I mean, $14 mil is set for life. If you say “no”… well, that’s hard to justify. Because the kid could always go to school overseas or whatever. That’s an option.
Sad truth is, though, that big money at a young age can ruin a person. THere’s a reason it’s called “spoiled”. You NBA dudes know that for all the good thing money brings, it brings problems too. For instance, once you got $$, who can you REALLY trust? Old “friends” suddenly start calling, so you get suspicious. New friends, well, do they REALLY like YOU, or just your position, your money, your fame, etc? This is why winning the lottery has really messed up some people’s lives.
That said… it’d still be pretty dang hard to turn down $14… let the kid decide.
November 17th, 2008 - 08:51
Good question.
Well seeing how the NBA doesn’t draft people until they have one year of college experience this ones a no-brainer. Go for the college, if he’s good enough than he goes to the NBA if not hey he gotta college degree.
November 17th, 2008 - 08:58
Take the money. You definitely sacrifice some things, but that’s too much guaranteed money to pass up for a 12-year-old. And you could still raise a good kid with perspective if you managed the situation properly.
November 17th, 2008 - 10:45
I am astounded at how many so easily say, “take the money”. Education does not seem to be valued anymore; indeed, in some cases recently, lack of a decent education (or having been incarcerated) is almost a badge of honor. How many multi-millionaire athletes/celebrities have squandered their fortunes and/or made horrible personal decisions (does Shawn Kemp ring a bell?) because they lacked the brains/maturity to deal with the money and stardom?
If the kid is talented, he’ll be able to take care of himself just fine financially someday. An education will last him and serve him well for his entire life.
November 17th, 2008 - 14:15
Step 1. Explain the situation to the kid.
Step 2. Ask the kid what he wants to do.
Step 3. Do what the kid says.
It’s Hypothetical Kid’s hypothetical talent and earnings we are talking about, not Hypothetical Parent’s. With $5M pretax dollars guaranteed, a good parent can find plenty of educational opportunities for H.K.
November 17th, 2008 - 22:24
take the money. he could still go to USC for a year.
November 18th, 2008 - 08:47
I don’t understand, he can’t go to college ever? Why would that be the case?
He might not be able to PLAY for a college team, but…that’s ok, send him to Europe if he still wants to play ball when he’s that old, or just send him to the school of his choosing for his fantastic education.
November 18th, 2008 - 15:15
Take the money. Your going to need it to feed this monster of a kid. Plus your going to need a personel clothes maker to make onezies with feet to hold a size 17 foot
November 18th, 2008 - 22:25
Take plenty of photos of him in that onezie to show his future girlfriends.
November 19th, 2008 - 13:39
Take the money. The kid can always go to college just can’t play college basketball. I played college basketball, but if somebody told me they would give me $5M not to play it, I would have taken it.
November 19th, 2008 - 21:11
Channing,
I feel like you have to take the money. If he gets five million dollars, and isn’t talented enough to get drafted, he can still go to college, only not as an athlete. He can live a somewhat normal life, only with five million dollars in the bank. If he continues to develop, and is drafted, he can so a Brandon Jennings for a year. I think either way, he comes out fine, while if you don’t take the money you run the risk of injury, or of stunted development.
November 21st, 2008 - 16:17
Sure, I often thought about what I would do with a million dollars, but honestly, there is nothing wrong with having to work for a living. If you find a job you enjoy going to, then it’s not a problem. I think it is important to go to college; the education (not just in the classroom) is invaluable. Besides, at twelve years old, I do not want to put in my child’s head that he is the next big thing. He can dream, work, have high hopes and expectations, but “the good life” (if that’s really what money gets you) will not be handed to him at that age. It is too early to funnel a kid in any direction – you will be a doctor, you will be a lawyer, you will start in the NBA. Life happens, and money isn’t a cure. I realize that with money one can pay for the education, but where is my son’s motivation to learn something when he’s already got millions in his pockets? If he wants to be a professional athlete and has the talent and work ethic to get there, it will be there for him. To everything there is a season, and twelve year olds have a hard enough time figuring out girls.
November 22nd, 2008 - 21:32
look at ocho cinco. supposedly went to oregon state university, knew he was only going there to go pro, so if you go into something with a mindset of just getting to the big leagues, might as well take the guaranteed money. kids blow out their knees, lose interest, lose their competitive edge, etc. thus you take the millions so you can always afford to get your kid into the greatest college in the world regardless of athletics. if the end goal is a great education and money you take the guaranteed money and you risk going to college later, when most likely more people would learn more later in life rather than earlier. the million a year guaranteed can get the other kids to college as well. no need for the big risk for the big payday all at once when you can secure the rest of your life off even 2 million dollars.
November 25th, 2008 - 13:11
TAKE THE MONEY!
It’s not like all those millions can’t go to a college fund that your kid cant use to go to college without a basketball scholarship. In the most likely scenario – he’s good enough to play college ball but nowhere near NBA ready – he could always go overseas; or heck, go overseas in high school and pick up with a club development program. It’s not as if he’d need to make money out of the box. If things work out, he’s set himself up for a nice pro career either in the US or oversees, won’t have to worry about money, and can go to school in the offseason or after his playing days.
If things dont work out – he sucks, he gets hurt, he loses interest – he’ll have $5 mil and money to go to college like a regular student.
Essentially, the deal is, $5 million to not play college basketball. Playing college basketball is nice, but not worth $5m. Additionally, in most cases, the kid would still be eligible for non-basketball college sports like baseball or volleyball.
November 25th, 2008 - 13:44
I wouldn’t rob the kid of the millions. Even if he can’t go to college, he can still learn a lot through other educational programs.
Maybe he gets older and is really smart and wanted to be a doctor. That would hurt. Still, he’d have to be grateful for that money.
November 25th, 2008 - 18:27
Take the money. If you do not, you are an absolute moron.