And to think we debated, with considerable vigor, whether Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose had better character traits before last year's NBA Draft. Turns out the answer was "none of the above," which shouldn't shock anybody who knows how teenaged basketball phenoms are pampered, enabled and, in the end, used up like chew toys. Rose is the new poster child for academic fraud, having scandalized an SAT test and reduced Memphis' runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament to a vacated, forgotten rat hole.As for Beasley, he is a troubled soul who needed help and was fortunate to find it this week. He has checked into a Houston rehabilitation facility and is receiving treatment for stress-related problems that apparently include drug and alcohol issues. This came after a photo on Beasley's Twitter account showed a small plastic bag that appeared to contain -- well, you know -- and included recent postings that didn't suggest a well-adjusted mind:
"Feelin like it's not worth livin!!!!!!! I'm done."
"I feel like the whole world is against me I can't win for losin.' "
"Based on what I'm getting right now, there's a bit of concern. I don't really know what's going on," Shingler told the Associated Press as the story broke. "I just know his mom is on her way to go see him in Houston. That's it. I'm still collecting a lot of information. From what I know, he was just getting ready for the upcoming season. The last time I talked to him, everything was going well. All this rehab and all that, I was totally unaware. It all started as he wanted to go work out in a different place because he wanted to get away. Now this, I don't know what's going on."
At present, the league's 19-year age limit allows a player to show up in college for eight months, if that, and major in Coed Chasing with a minor in the Art of the Crossover Dribble. What's going on, of course, is the ugly sound of two famous young athletes crashing and burning. And I can't help but urge the NBA to keep pursuing a 20-year-old age limit that might allow Rose and Beasley a chance to mature more in college -- instead of making a mockery of academia during a brief hoops joyride that reeks of rent-a-player exploitation. At present, the league's 19-year age limit allows a player to show up in college for eight months, if that, and major in Coed Chasing with a minor in the Art of the Crossover Dribble. Meanwhile, their heads are filled with grandiose, TV-hyped thoughts that turn their priorities strictly to NBA Draft status. The entire experience is an insult to true college students, but the harshest reality is what it does to young men such as Beasley and Rose. They aren't allowed to use college as a bridge to adulthood, like the rest of us, because the league lures them with millions after their freshmen seasons. My point is, why not wait until after their sophomore seasons? Or their junior seasons, the way the NFL does it?
We'll find out soon enough whether the league is sincere. As part of the ongoing labor talks with the NBA Players Association, commissioner David Stern cannot budge on the 20-year limit, even as the union mentions LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard as examples of players who didn't need college to become shining lights on and off the court. If the one-year rule remains intact -- or if the union succeeds in having the rule repealed -- my guess is we'll have as many bouts with immaturity and irresponsibility among highly drafted players as we have major success stories. By expanding the college experience, the idea is to let young men grow and, oh, maybe take a few classes while on campus.
"This is not about the NCAA. This is not an enforcement of some social program,'' Stern said. "This is a business decision by the NBA, which is: We like to see our players in competition after high school."
As usual, there has been opposition in Congress, with phrases dropped such as "slavery" and "restraint of freedom." Stern, sharper than the average cat, responds that Congress has a minimum age of 25. "I don't know why our founders decided that age 25 was good for Congress, but I guess they thought that was about maturity," he said. "For us, it's a kind of basketball maturity."
Michael Beasley Photos
FILE -- This is a Feb. 22, 2009, file photo showing Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley, with a mouthpiece that bears a Batman logo, during a foul shot in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
AP
FILE -- This is a March 20, 2009, file photo showing Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley, right, attempting to get to the basket as he is guarded by New Jersey Nets' Trenton Hassell during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in East Rutherford, N.J. A person briefed on the situation says Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley is battling depression-related issues and is being treated at a Houston rehabilitation facility. Beasley checked into the facility last week, the person told The Associated Press on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)
AP
ATLANTA - MAY 03: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks over Joel Anthony #50 and Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks defeated the Heat 91-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Joel Anthony;Michael Beasley
Getty Images
ATLANTA - MAY 03: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks scores over Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks defeated the Heat 91-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Michael Beasley
Getty Images
ATLANTA - MAY 3: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks puts up a shot against Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Michael Beasley
NBAE/Getty Images
ATLANTA - MAY 3: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against Joe Johnson #2 of the Atlanta Hawks in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Joe Johnson
NBAE/Getty Images
MIAMI - MAY 01: Jamaal Magloire #21 and Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat celebrate after Magloire was fouled grabbing an offensive rebound against the Atlanta Hawks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Hawks 98-72. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jamaal Magloire;Michael Beasley
Getty Images
MIAMI - MAY 01: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat backs down Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Hawks 98-72. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Josh Smith
Getty Images
Miami Heat's Michael Beasley squeezes between two Atlanta Hawks defenders including Josh Smith, right, in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs in Miami, Florida, Friday, May 1, 2009. (Robert Duyos/Sun-Sentinel/MCT)
MCT
MIAMI - MAY 1: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat shoots against Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Josh Smith
NBAE/Getty Images
For all his ability as a scorer and rebounder, Beasley always has lacked maturity and direction. He bounced to six schools in five states during his high-school career, always finding trouble and an administrator showing him the door. Yet there was someone else waiting every time, eager to take advantage of his basketball skills. Even when he seemed to find himself academically and socially at prestigious Oak Hill Academy, Beasley was booted after throwing sticks at the homes of teachers, sneaking out of his dormitory after curfew and wearing pajamas to school. Remember what he told the Washington Post as a senior at Notre Dame Prep, 50 miles west of Boston?
"Me and Tywon Lawson had a competition at the beginning of the school year about who could sign their autograph the most around the school," said Beasley, mentioning an Oak Hill teammate who went on to glory at North Carolina. "And I don't lose at anything, man, so I walked around with one of those Sharpies and signed graffiti everywhere. Every day, they were cleaning my name off water fountains, ceilings, desks, offices -- whatever. I just thought it was funny."
One day, he signed his name on the school principal's truck. Somehow, he didn't think it was funny.
So here is Beasley four years later, a drifter who played one season at Kansas State, became the No. 2 pick in the draft and immediately was swallowed up by Miami's infamous nightlife and aura. Tattoos became his trademark, which isn't unusual but did draw attention to his wayward moods. His Heat teammates, including Dwyane Wade, often expressed disapproval about his immaturity, with Wade issuing a warning of sorts when he told the AP last month, "The guy's got a lot of talent. I can't wait to see what he does with it. He's 20 years old. I'd love to see it all come together this year."
But Beasley never has embraced attempts to help him. "I'm 20 and you can't expect me to be 30," he said. "I'm going to make mistakes, do dumb stuff and learn. How mature you want me to be?" He complained during the season that "everyone is against me," haunted by a preseason episode at the NBA's rookie symposium in which the league fined him $50,000 after security guards smelled marijuana in a hotel room occupied by Beasley, Heat guard Mario Chalmers, Darrell Arthur and two women. He had a decent season, averaging 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds, but he wasn't the beastly presence many expected as he came off the bench and let Rose beat him out for Rookie of the Year. His underachievement led USA Basketball not to consider him with other young players for berths on the national team, which prompted an angry response on his Twitter account. "KIll mode," wrote Beasley, describing his mood to seek revenge.
So he should consider himself lucky to be in a calmer, safer place today, mentored by former NBA coach John Lucas, who operates a clinic for athletes fighting substance abuse. Sometime soon, Beasley must shut down his Twitter accounts and flip on the light switch.
"What Michael Jr. is going [through] is just a bump on the road we call life," said a posting the Twitter page of his father, Michael Beasley Sr. "Please pray for him, he needs it."
Many will pray. But I'd feel better knowing he's entering his junior year at Kansas State, in a Manhattan that doesn't demand him to be an American sensation at 20.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-25-2009 @ 7:39PM
Welcome Don said...
Anyone does this story remind of you of the Fab Five ????
another bunch of lying,coniveing,cheating, under achievers that cost their University also.
We don't learn we cheat better......until we get caught. The trouble is these cheats ( all fo them from the fab five ) and todays cheats get on with life and its the colleges that pay the penality.
Reply
8-26-2009 @ 5:27PM
trailofechoes said...
The college's, alumni, and the fans do it to themselves, by putting atheletes over academia, which is what they are there for. All big colleges give a pass to athletes, men and women at the cost of many other students.
8-25-2009 @ 7:50PM
Michael gifford said...
"the whole world's against me"....is the kind of lie victims tell themselves when their own behavior screws things up....
Really, the whole world's against you??? So help me understand how this world that is against you gave you a lucrative NBA contract and so many others don't have one???? Tell me again how the whole world's against you and kids in the projects are scrambling for food or kids in Rwanda are just getting killed outright for being the wrong tribe... The whole world's against you? tell me how it's sooooooooo against you that YOU decide to ignore or not confide in people who can help you and then trust lowlife parasites who keep you entrenched in behavior that only comes back to bite you....
the whole world's against you??? keep acting like you're acting and you'll eventually prove yourself right...thereby forfeiting everything you've been given...
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 8:34PM
zachergroup said...
Great comment, I truly believe that colleges and the NBA got to get together and put an age and grade point average in place so that these kids are not pawns in a game.I miss the NCAA when you saw kids as Freshman grow and the game was so much better.
8-25-2009 @ 7:53PM
Michael gifford said...
how self absorbed can you get...."the whole world's against me"....
hmmm....try living in Calcutta or Darfur where the possiblity of getting millions of dollars for putting a ball through a basket isn't even remotely available...neither is food....
get over yourself victim boy...and get some perspective on the world...you've got it good and YOU"RE the one screwing it up...NO ONE ELSE
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 8:34PM
nickstoli said...
In the words of Ochostinco: "child, please."
Yeah, he absolutely needs more years of academic fraud. That'll work.
Then again, he's missing out on the character building by such upstanding people like Calipari, Pitino, and Rick "Sexual Deviant" Majerus.
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 9:20PM
firebowler257 said...
More Twitter scandals, wow, what a shock.
Sometimes I wonder whether we as a society just aren't ready for technology like Twitter, or whether it's simply too dangerous to begin with. Think about it; this service allows anyone carte blanche to post whatever they want, when they want to. They can slander people, talk trash about their employers, pick fights, and promote gang violence, amongst other things.
Yes, people should be more responsible, but man, as a young person, it's so incredibly tempting to write whatever you want when you're given this much power to write it.
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 9:29PM
d57fan said...
nickstoli is dead on. This article is lazy and facile. The damage done to Beasley's psyche was done long before college anyway...and that sort of damage has not limited many people from thriving later on...neither has college "saved" anyone who was troubled.
Are we worried about the baggies of what might be pot?? Really? How ridiculously hypocritical. Are we worried he is depressed? How would college help depression?
I don't see any "warning" in what Wade said....
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 9:37PM
jusrib said...
Can you explain how Derrick Rose, whose reputation only took a hit due to being required to go to college, would have benefited from another year of college? Perhaps Memphis has a time machine which would allow him to go back to high school and correct what caused his character hit because once he became a sophmore he would instantly realize the error of his ways and have ability to travel back to high school and not take the SATs and go to Europe for a year? Is this the case? From where anyone who can employ logic sits it looks like college hurt him because the only flaw he has is a direct result of being required to go to college in the first place. I'm sure you have an explanation as to why another year of college would correct the flaws you see in Derrick Rose.
Awaiting your brilliant insight as always Jay!
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 11:05PM
Classius said...
Ceasing to follow these kids around with cameras and notepads when they're just 14 might be step one in correcting the 'problem.'
Additionally, amid all the incoherent and inflammatory hyperbole spewed forth by Anthony, he makes a decent point. 18 year old Johnny goes to war and loses his leg, he's a hero, and any employer would hire him provided he stays sober and clear of the law. the government gives him a medal, pays for his schooling. God bless him (no sarcasm in that last sentence).
18 year old Tommy plays basketball and has pretty much been told that's his best shot at making a living as an adult. But he's told he has to go to college for a year before he can play in his country professionally. He tears his ACL in the NCAA tournament and is never the same again. Where are his benefits and what are his options? The NBA, the NCAA and his agents aren't going to pay for his schooling. He's riding the runny rapids with no paddle.
For all the bluster people get when they get a self-righteous hair up their butt about criticizing a position that they've never been in, you sure don't see the other side of things. The NBA and the NCAA make a BOATLOAD of money off these athletes and when said athletes have exhausted their worth, they are cast aside and replaced like spoiled milk. For every Lebron James, there are hundreds of now nameless, faceless players who are in the street, working a cash register at your local Wal-Mart, or in jail.
The system is broken. Just raising the minimum age is not going to fix anything, because it's just as easy for these kids to sign a contract in Europe and start playing professionally at 16 (with parental consent to boot). Jay, you're complaining about an NBA problem?
It's not an NBA problem. This is much larger than that, and forcing these kids to wait before they can play pro ball in the States but telling them they can go to war or vote earlier than make a wage is completely hypocritical. Kids in this age have the Internet at their fingertips, 24/7. They know better. They're cynical.
And they likely have more street smarts than most of us.
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 11:14PM
Danielle said...
ANTHONY: Our society is full of age inconsistencies. And you're right our great grandparents did marry early and have many children, but their children and grandchildren felt there wasn't enough time and/or money spent on them growing up and decided for whatever reason not to follow that example.
Based on the language and articulation of your comment, I wonder about your parents and your upbringing. And educational prowess.
Mariotti's point is valid, if perhaps a little optimistic. Time will tell if Beasley's problem is immaturity or another adventitious issue. He may very well have drug and/or alcohol problems. That is often the case of people with too much time/money on their hands. That is also often the case of people with undiagnosed/ untreated mental health issues. Many people self medicate to compensate for depression, anxiety, etc. Shoot, they try to compensate for a whole slew of problems.
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 11:42PM
firebowler257 said...
Well put, Classius. Exactly the reason why I believe the NBA should adopt Major League Baseball's policy when it comes to draftees: the "no years or three years" rule.
Are you an 18-year-old superstar who truly believes you're ready for the NBA? Go for it; no one will stop you. But should you choose college or a foreign league, you must commit to it for 3 years. It's so obvious I'm amazed they're not discussing it as a viable alternative.
Yes, we'd go back to seeing a ton of high-schoolers in the NBA draft, but hey, that's a lot better than the embarassing "one and done" scenario existing today. The kids who choose college will have to commit for 3 years and may find they appreciate the "college experience" after all.
This rule would allow some flexibility. It takes age out of the equation and replaces it with years of experience, whether that be college or euro ball.
Reply
8-26-2009 @ 11:25AM
John Butler said...
That sounds like a great idea to me.
8-26-2009 @ 1:31PM
dj said...
The best thing about that rule is that major league baseball also does not force it's athletes to forgo their amateur status to enter the draft. All college players are eligible and all graduating high school seniors. So if the NBA were to do this, players would be drafted and then have the ability to sign with a pro team or go to college.
Also in MLB, the team that signs a player without a college degree will pay for that player to complete college. The Cubs paid for Scott Boras to attend law school. Now he is ruining baseball along with an ineffective and incompetent commissioner.
8-26-2009 @ 12:01AM
Giles said...
Problem young adult athletes ought NOT be in college, they ought to be where this guy is, in rehab. They would only flunk out unless they were busily being exploited. Lots of athletes go on the professional careers. Got a former pro football player just down the street who works at a hospital. But lots are just carried to sell tickets. Colleges are in business to make money, not educate, much less to save problem "kids". You`ve been around long enough, and then some, you ought to know that by now. I wish Bease all the best, with whatever is really bothering him.
Reply
8-26-2009 @ 2:07AM
Giles said...
And the entry at least after 18 was decided for the NBA in `71 by a court of law in the Spencer Haywood case. An adult, over 18, CANNOT be barred from employment by patronizeing prior restraint of trade, whether he tries a bit of college or not. That is the LAW. The Nba is violating the law. And it is recruiting athletes, some of whom, also violate the law. Latest claim about Bease, is he now is alleged to have been part of an ongoing rehab program, due to alleged repeated violation of substance abuse laws/rules. Stay tuned for further gossip, lies, spin, and innuendo. The Heat need to consider putting him on season long injured reserve, and bringing in a free agent. Big GentleMan Glen Davis is not longer available, nor Odom, whom the Heat evidentally should have tried harder to sign, allegedly knowing Bease was allegedly in ongoing REQUIRED rehab, but David Lee, and others who can play either forward spot, are still available.
Reply
8-26-2009 @ 11:33AM
John Butler said...
I would think that Derrick Rose would get a bit less bashed on this situation seeing as though he has no other character issues and has been nothing but a gentleman and good sportsman through his rookie year and this event took place two years ago. Academic Fraud is a serious act and is very unethical but is not a crime and has nothing to do with the NBA or his ability to perform and be an asset to a team. I haven't heard that much from how the fans really feel but the media is hitting him pretty hard.
Reply
8-26-2009 @ 11:51AM
tetrarquin said...
I knew Beasley was messed up just by seeing him in that ESPN show that followed him through the NBA draft etc...typical dumb jock uneducated spends 24 hours a day playing hoops ..ESPN kisses his butt..he buys fur coats for his mama...why not just take these moneymakers when theyre in nursery school?
Reply
8-26-2009 @ 12:37PM
mcgoo04 said...
Too bad so many athletes are bad folks, but society's preferential treatment of them begins at least in high school. I teach in a public high school. We kiss the butt of athletes, and there haven't even been any big-time kids from this school. It is no wonder they enter college, then professional sports, thinking they're special. Unfortunately, some of them were Special Needs - meaning, among other things, their butts are kissed even more through college. It doesn't mean they actually learned how to conduct themselves, manage money, get along in society, etc, etc. However, it does mean they were given a virtual academic pass (eligibility) throughout their education years.
Reply
8-26-2009 @ 3:55PM
granite696 said...
For every Lebron James there are a dozen Maurice Claretts. Friends, advisors and relatives, all telling some 13 year old in a mans body to "go for the gold" The NBA needs to take back control of its league from the thugs and lawyers. The NFL is light years ahead of them in the area.
Reply