Too much, too soon.
It’s
become an all too common cliché in the world of sports—particularly in
the youth-driven NBA. After a decade of watching high school phenoms
make the leap to the pros only to succumb to the pressures of fame and
wealth, that phrase was used to describe the seemingly endless parade
of teenage millionaires who cracked under the glare of the NBA
spotlight. To help combat these instances of young players jeopardizing
their careers due to immaturity, the league instituted an age limit
that demanded that a player be 19 years old or play at least one year
of college before entering the league.
But that age restriction hasn’t solved the problem.
Michael
Beasley, 20-year-old forward for the Miami Heat, checked into a Houston
rehabilitation facility for treatment last week, according to the
Associated Press. An anonymous source said part of Beasley’s treatment
concerned some stress-related issues, but wouldn’t confirm if Beasley
was receiving drug or alcohol counseling. Beasley posted a photo on his
Twitter account last week, showing off his new tattoo —“Supercoolbeas”
stretched across his shoulder blades. In the background of the shot,
there appears to be a substance in a Ziploc bag sitting on a table.
It’s unclear exactly what the substance is, but it looks like
marijuana.
This isn’t Beasley’s first
drug-related controversy. The No. 2 pick in the 2008 draft was fined
$50,000 by the NBA in September of last year for having marijuana at
the league’s rookie symposium.
But the
most disturbing aspect of Beasley’s ordeal is the apparent emotional
distress he seems to be under. In the same week of the incriminating
photo, he tweeted: “Feelin like it’s not worth livin!!!!!!! I’m done”
and “I feel like the whole world is against me I can’t win for losin.”
Since
emerging as one of the top high school talents in the country, and
becoming one of the biggest stars in college hoops at Kansas State,
there have been numerous questions about Beasley’s maturity. The NBA,
and even the NFL and MLB, must take greater measures to ensure that
these kids receive the proper counseling and guidance when they make
the jump to the pros. Age restrictions and highly publicized
rehabilitation entries aren’t what’s needed. The only thing worse than
realizing that too much came too soon is recognizing it too late. –todd williams
