Shut it down Zion

     On 1 October, 2005, Tyrone Prothro, an unbelievably talented wide receiver for the University of Alabama made several phenomenal catches. Towards the end of the game, specifically with 5 minutes left and Alabama leading the Florida Gators 31-3, quarterback Brodie Croyle lofted a deep pass to Prothro. In his attempt to make the catch, Prothro jumped at the same time as the Florida defender who landed on Prothro’s leg at a terrible angle snapping it horribly. For those not squeamish, imagine the leg making a 90 degree shape without the knee bending the proper direction to do so. He was never able to play again. Why previous Alabama coach Mike Shula even had Prothro and other starters still in during an obviously already decided game will forever remain a mystery to all of us.

   
     On 27 October 2012, standout South Carolina tailback Marcus Lattimore suffered a horrendous knee injury against Tennessee that resulted in his season coming to an end. Although he was drafted in the 2013 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, the injury was too bad for his potential to ever materialize. He retired in 2014 without ever having played a down of professional football. A real pity given how much of a beast he was in the SEC and college as a whole. Besides the fact that both of these fellas suffered career-ending injuries while still “amateurs” (a joke of a term in college sports, but that’s another story for another day), both were good enough to be playing professionally and earning a serious check while doing so.

   
     With that in mind, why were they not, and more importantly why has Zion Williamson rejected Scottie Pippen’s idea to shut down his season at Duke and prepare for the NBA draft? As the likely number one pick in the 2019 NBA draft, why has he still decided to continue playing in a league that generates billions for free? Can you imagine being good enough at something to get paid for it but continuing to do it for the free 99? Yeah, me neither. In the previous two cases, Lattimore and Prothro were prohibited from entering the NFL draft due to the NFL’s requirement of players being three years removed from high school before being draft eligible. Despite a high amount of college football players likely to be high draft picks wising up and deciding to sit out bowl games, most prospects are still generally bound to playing a significant amount of college ball before entering the draft (i.e. Maurice Clarett).

     However, that’s not the case for college basketball players. The “one and done” compromise that unjustly prevented players from going straight from high school to the NBA in 2006 has resulted in some players bypassing college altogether. Instead of going to college, playing for free and risking a serious injury, some are going overseas and earning right away. Brandon Jennings bypassed college, played in Italy, and was drafted 10 th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, so it’s not impossible.

     Let’s paint this picture. Zion Williamson, an individual with serious earning potential of several millions over a short period of time suffers a career-ending injury while still wearing a Duke uniform. How can Duke University possibly compensate him for the money he likely would have earned just in the first five years of his professional career alone? More importantly, how willing would they be to financially compensate him and his family? Whatever the hypothetical or realistic answer is, I guarantee you the figure is nowhere near what he would have made playing in the NBA. So given this lack of a likely financial match, what sense is there in going against Pippen’s advice and not shutting it down. You are risking more money than most people will see in a lifetime in order to keep playing for free. Let’s say a few figures out loud. Duke University endowment = $8.5 billion. Say it a few more times, so it really sinks in. Division I Men’s Basketball Championship television and marketing rights = $821.4 million. Championship ticket sales = $129.4 million. Division I Basketball fund = $160.5 million. I could go on forever, but I’m sure your head is probably spinning a million miles a minute at this point at the mere thought of those numbers.

     Again, I ask why is Zion Williamson unwilling to shut it down again? With clear evidence of the fortune other players have lost by being “loyal to their programs,” he still wants to suit up for Duke. With clear evidence he and his family won’t be properly compensated for their loss, he still is willing to suit up. For the record, Marcus Lattimore currently serves as the director of player development for the University of South Carolina (a far cry from his original $2.4 million with the Niners on top of the fact he originally couldn’t join the South Carolina staff as a mentor due to the NCAA’s ruling the Gamecocks would get an unfair advantage with him in this position. The same NCAA whom he shattered his knee for in the name of entertainment. Gotta love those guys). Tyrone Prothro is now a receivers coach and JV basketball coach at Jasper High School. His three other jobs included working as an account manager at Coca-Cola, Toyota car salesman, and financial rep at Regions Bank. I guess he scored a helluva touchdown since his sacrifice for the Crimson Tide. With all this in mind, it would be quite a shame if I walked into a local bank one day only to see Zion Williamson handling other people’s money as opposed to making a ton of his own.