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Kemba Walker has read a book. You read that right: Walker, the University of Connecticut (UConn) star guard and NCAA Men's Basketball National Champion, Walker has just admitted to finishing his first book "cover-to-cover," in an interview for Sports Illustrated. While for many that is in fact an achievement, for a junior in college who will be graduating this May, who undoubtedly should have read quite a few texts over the years, it is an embarrassment. The incident once again illustrates the fantasy that is the life of a superstar Division I student-athlete.
The ideal student-athlete is one that magically balances his or her time between sports and academia, never missing a beat and never falling behind in either realm. They are meant to excel at everything they do and do it willingly, with a smile on their faces. Those lucky enough to earn scholarships for the sports they compete in are under even more pressure because their scholarships are only guaranteed for one year, meaning that if they lose their spot on the team they may not be able to complete their education. While I certainly admire the student-athletes who more than successfully manage both aspects of their lives, I am tired of the gag-rule the media has instituted on the academic standards of stars of Division I sports.
Kemba Walker's statements to Sports Illustrated marks a rare case of one of these athletes openly flaunting his indifference to academia. In the interview, Walker admitted that William C. Rhoden's Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete was the first book he ever read in its entirety. "That's true," Walker said. "You can write that. It is the first book I've ever read." There's nothing wrong with not finishing every book you read, or really even any book you read. But what I do take issue with is publicly flaunting it as if it is something of which you should be proud, especially when you know that as a college student you likely had quite a few books assigned.
UConn's men's basketball team's academic standards are an embarrassment and Walker's attitude is a perfect picture of that. Despite being part of a prestigious and highly selective school, the team has one of the lowest graduation rates in the country at just 31 percent. That number compares to UConn's general six-year graduation rates of 51 percent at its regional campuses and 78 percent at the Storrs campus where the team plays. The fact that nearly seven out of every 10 basketball players that step onto UConn's court do not graduate is unacceptable. Arguments that the numbers are distorted because so many players turn pro before they graduate are just as intolerable. Seven out of every 10 UConn players do not turn pro every year, and before they are supposed to graduate; in fact, the number is likely closer to one. Similarly, the argument that the team is not responsible for the player's personal responsibilities, one of which is academic success, is just as wrong, since the player is encouraged to spend far more time playing basketball than studying. Faced with the prospect of losing his scholarship if he does not compete, and with the additional fact that he has practice and games all over the country all year, a player is forced to prioritize, leaving academics in the dust.
Obviously this isn't true for all student-athletes, but it seems to be more true now than ever for the faces of NCAA sports. Players such as Walker and former Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton represent an unsettling trend in college sports. We associate these stars with college sports, so why should we turn away if they don't pull their weight in the classroom? The academic argument has always been used for college sports. Student-athletes aren't paid because they get to receive a fine education for free. Athletics teaches time management so athletes are more likely to be successful academically and, as the NCAA official adverts suggest, are also more likely to graduate. The NCAA and schools actively promote the idea that sports and education go hand in hand. For many they do, but for some they don't. The question is, why do we pretend like the latter isn't true?
Superstar athletes aren't always appreciative of the academic opportunities given to them and their teams aren't always helpful in making them understand the error of their ways. It's a loaded statement but it's also true. ESPN is always willing to run a report on an athlete that succeeds, against all odds, on the field and in the classroom. It's a fantastic story and one that everyone wants to hear. But I feel it's just as important for these reporters to break down the root causes of academic failure. Why does UConn only graduate 31 percent of its players? Why do some players not care about school? And finally, how does a schedule involving trips all over the country impact the academic performance of a team? These are questions we need to ask if we are to really understand what college sports are all about.
Walker's interview is a glimpse into a world that doesn't treat academics with enough importance, but is still more than willing to pile praise onto itself for those that succeed, despite the odds. We need to understand how academics figure into the college superstar's life, and we then need to have an honest discussion of what needs to be done so that other college juniors aren't proud of having read just one book in their lives.