[To listen to the audio version, click here: UM hoops to NBA]
Nik Stauskas grew up in Mississauga, Ontario – a Toronto suburb better known for its neighborhood hockey games than a Lithuanian kid spending thousands of hours shooting on his parents’ backyard hoop.
This year, Stauskas was named Big Ten player of the year, becoming one of the top players in the NBA fantasy rankings. It worked.
Glenn Robinson III took a completely different route to the NBA: His father is Glenn Robinson Jr., also known as “The Big Dog,” and was the first pick in the NBA draft twenty years ago. If Stauskas had to work to get attention, Robinson had to work to avoid it.
They became strong candidates to leave college early for the NBA draft, which is their right. This week, both decided to make that jump, and file for the draft this spring. Stauskas is projected to be a high first-round pick, and Robinson not too far behind.
You can make a strong argument that it’s wise for them to go to the NBA now, when their stock is high, than risk having a disappointing season — or an injury — and being drafted lower in 2015, or not at all. Of course, you could also make an argument that both could afford to come back next year, improve their games — Nik can shoot the lights out, but needs to enhance his defensive work, and GR III was clutch down the stretch, but too often disappeared in big games — and next year’s NBA draft will likely be softer. But that all gets filed under career strategy, not philosophy.
And either way, good for them. They’re both nice guys, hard workers, and serious students. If a violinist at Michigan was recruited by the London Symphony Orchestra, no one would begrudge her for jumping. I might have done it myself.
But I do object to the pundits and fans claiming if the NBA dangles millions of dollars in front of a college player, “he has no choice. He has to go.”
This bit of conventional wisdom is based on one gigantic assumption: that the pursuit of money eclipses all other considerations, combined.
The idea that a great player might decide to stay in school to improve their game, to enjoy the college experience, or to pursue his education, are considered silly, even immature responses, when they’re considered at all.
And if he does decide to stay in school – as a surprising number do, despite the pressure to leave – these same people will call him a fool. Why? Money.
The funny thing is, we have actual data – tons of it – that tell us what makes us happy. And study after study shows it’s not money. It’s family. It’s friends. It’s work we care about. And that’s about it.
But ignoring our own values invariably creates unhappiness. Ditto, greed.
The happiest people I know have lived the most meaningful lives, including dedicated schoolteachers, talented musicians and friends working for non-profits that actually help others.
My dad, like just about everybody else who works at a university, turned down more money from the private sector to keep teaching, researching and treating his pediatric patients. My mom spent ten years teaching grade school, and decades later, she still hears from her students.
Everyone who works full time here at Michigan Radio – unlike certain free-lance sports commentators I could name – are talented, hard-working people who could make a lot more money in commercial radio or public relations. But they stay. Why? Because they love it.
The late Chris Peterson, a psychology professor at Michigan who won the Golden Apple Award for teaching in 2010, studied happiness. He discovered the biggest factor in job satisfaction is not hours or prestige or pay, but one good friend. That’s it.
Perhaps that’s why every former Michigan athlete I know who played in the NBA, the NFL and the NHL say they liked playing for Michigan best. That list includes Stanley Cup champions, Super Bowl winners, and millionaires.
Mike Kenn played for Michigan in the late seventies, then played 17 years for the Atlanta Falcons, 251 straight starts. He told me, “I watch the Falcons play on Sundays, and I hope they win. But on Saturdays, I live and die with the Wolverines.”
Jim Mandich was the captain of Bo Schembechler’s first Michigan team in 1969, and an All-Pro tight end on the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. He stayed in Miami, and did a lot of radio and TV for the team. A few years ago, The Detroit News’s Angelique Chengalis asked him, when he was facing terminal cancer, if he still had time to follow Michigan football. “Are you kidding me?” Mandich said. “Of course I care about that stuff, to the point of irrationality. It will always be Michigan first, cancer second.” He didn’t even mention the Dolphins.
Yeah, this is what the NCAA wants us to believe, which always makes me nervous. My contempt for that organization is growing – and I didn’t think that was possible. But that doesn’t mean everything they say is always wrong.
So, for Nik and Glenn, do whatever is right for you, and good luck. You’ve worked hard and beaten incredible odds to create those options.
But don’t think for a second that just because someone offers you money to do something, you have no choice but to do it.
If you do, you’re not buying your freedom. You’re selling it.
* * * * *
Please join the conversation, but remember: I run only those letters from those who are not profane or insane, and who include their FULL name.
Radio stuff: On Friday mornings, these commentaries run at 8:50 on Michigan Radio (91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit and Flint, and 104.1 Grand Rapids), and a few minutes later, I join Sam Webb and Ira Weintraub LIVE from 9:05 to 9:25 on WTKA.com, 1050 AM.
I’ll also be on the Big Ten Network Friday, April 11, at 5-5:10 EDT, to discuss last week’s piece on the Northwestern union issue.
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John,
When Jack Tatum was back on the OSU campus, he ran into a member of the athletic department. He said to the individual “don’t tell Woody I haven’t finished my degree.” You have pointed out the real issue: am I here for money or an education? It’s time to separate the ones who want an education from those who just want money.
bomberjohn5
well, first, because one of my nicknames is “constant feedback”, and I love picking on you, and everyone else I know, the rattlesnake is massasauga.
Your point is dead on. Money cannot buy happiness.
They are grown men, free to make their own decisions, and I am grateful for what they gave to my alma mater.
Cannot find it right now, but I believe there were Nobel prize winners in economics based on the theory that we do NOT always buy the less expensive product, even when quality is equal.
And, these two players are following their dream. They are NOT leaving solely for money.
Well played, sir. The correction has been made. Agreed on your other points, of course — and not surprised by the Nobel laureates research!
John,
Cant fault the athletes its about capitalizing on a window to make great money and maximize your worth. Maybe not as much in basketball but use the analogy of baseball where you either declare in hs or have to wait until after your junior year of college. Pitchers especially you capitalize on a opportunity to get guaranteed money all it takes is that dreaded ‘Tommy John’ and your days could be numbered, one can always go back and pursue the degree.
If they are following their dream to play with and against the elite players in their game, good for them. but the NBA is not “team” basketball, players don’t socialize, aside from their posses, and I think they will quickly miss that component.
I’m going to miss them both…
Excellent blog today John. Hit on more than just the sports perspective but also life and specifically happiness. “Good stuff.”
Thanks, Coach. If life is determined to do nothing else, it seems, it’s to teach perspective. And it does a hell of a job of it.
Wonderful piece, John. Daniel Pink’s book “Drive” examined the myth that money motivates. It just isn’t the case in 90%+ of the instances. If you haven’t seen Pink’s TED talk on it it’s worth the 19 min: http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation. You can also check out the RSA Animate version here: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc.
Thanks again for localizing this. We can’t begrudge them for pursuing their dream & the next challenge. We can question whether it was a good decision but not until we see te end result.
John,
I must compliment you for writing one of the best explanations regarding the “plight” of college players making decisions “to go or to stay”.
I would double-down on most all of your philosophy about how these student-athletes ought to be thinking about their lives, and especially Prof. Chris Peterson’s view
on happiness.
As you have recently stressed in your writings, the NCAA needs more than just “tweaking”. Rules concerning football and basketball ought to be changed to how hockey and baseball are now treated. Kids should be allowed to be signed early and then be allowed to complete their education while still playing out their four yesrs. I would add that if a student decides to jump early, than he ought to be liable to repay the school for the years he has been matriculated. His professional bonus will more than cover that expense.
Another point to note; The new NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, is in favor of raising the age of eligiblity for the NBA by one year. It has a good chance of passing, but it should be raised by two, not just one year. Another change, that might be a total “game-changer”, is a proposal that the NBA actually pay third or fourth year students for their college expenses in their upper classmen years. I say, “whatever works” to salvage the student-athlete years in college.
Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson are much admired as student-athletes and deservedly so. I wish them all the best, but in another environment, they might still be part of a group “who might stay and would be Champions”.
Thanks John for the great commentary, one of your best. One thing I would add is the alarming frequency of pro athletes that end up with little of the money they made or expected to make and never developed job skills for life after the pros. Those who stay may not achieve a championship while in college but they can still be champions in life.
Love this piece! Especially the part about happiness. I’ve got Chris Peterson’s book on Positive Psychology and think of it often. Amazing, that part about one good friend defining work happiness!
If one’s dream is to play in the NBA, and if that dream to play in the NBA overrides your other life dreams… like enjoying your college experience or winning an NCAA title or graduating… and if the NBA has a draft procedure in which first-round picks, and first round picks only, receive guaranteed three-year contracts, and if the best NBA intelligence seems to indicate that it’s a good bet that you will be a first round pick, then…
… you must go.
I am one of those who says Nik has got to go. And if GR3 is being told he’ll be a first-rounder, he needs to go, too. But that assumes the foregoing, specifically that the NBA is their ultimate career ambition. I am not saying that because of the $$. I am saying that because of the stability of a three-year deal which allows a first-rounder to get himself acclimated to the league via the investment that the team is making in him.
No first round pick is getting cut in training camp prior to his rookie year. But second round picks are much more at-risk because few receive 3-year deals and fewer receive investment-level guaranteed $$.
Great piece, Bake. I’m writing as one of those schoolteachers whom you mention as one of the happiest people you know. (English teacher – note “whom” above.) I’m not so sure about the “one good friend” factor, but I’m totally in agreement about the importance of doing something meaningful – whatever that word means. I, for one, found great meaning in my retirement job as a Starbucks barista because of the opportunity to give customers a personal lift, and not just from the caffeine.