The NBA  lockout over the past few months has had me wondering. Is the NBA a modern day plantation or a fair and balanced medium that helps lots of would be lower and middle class black men become multi-millionaires?

On one hand; I’d like to believe that it has helped 1000’s of black men become wealthy
individuals over the past 50+ years, which it has done, but is it a case of them selling their souls to become rich? Young black men across the nation have been afforded an opportunity to go from a position in the permanent underclass to a position of wealth and prosperity by learning how to shoot a ball through a hoop. It sounds easy when being said, but it’s actually a very impressive feat when you take into account the fact that only 64 job openings become available each year. Then you will see why being a professional NBA player is a coveted position. 64 young mostly Black men vie for these positions every year and some go on to be multi-millionaires and national names. They get a chance to provide for their families, children, and friends for generations sometimes, unless they mess the money up, which a few have done recently. So at a glance, you can’t beat it. You get a chance to become rich, famous and sought after but the price becomes evident when you decide to buck the system.

One the other hand I can’t help but notice that every criteria used to evaluate a
potential NBA player is the exact same as the criteria used to evaluate the
slave when being sold at auction.  I can still remember the remarks from the Bulls Continue reading →