To Be Young and Rich in the NBA

I knew this would happen when I decided to get into the teaching profession. Some students, especially athletes, will gain fame and fortune. However, I didn’t expect to be reading an article in the New York Times about one of them.

Terrence Williams is a rookie in the NBA, originally from Seattle. This article, ostensibly about the town house he’s renting, delves into a story that’s typical of the most oppressive kind of poverty. People think of Seattle as city of over-educated white people, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

I first met Terrence during his senior year at Rainier Beach High School, the roughest school in town. Dangerous Minds-type business. I was doing my initial student teaching with his English teacher. She had a good relationship with him and was able to navigate the baggage he brought into the classroom. One day, she had to leave suddenly with an illness. I was only observing at the time, but I volunteered to take the reins. The image that sticks with me is of Terrence having a bad day and sitting at the teacher’s desk instead of with the other students. I wasn’t going to tell him to move; I was just looking for a peaceful classroom.

He got recruited by Rick Pitino at Louisville. After a productive  career there, he’s now playing for the New Jersey Nets. Reading this article and knowing the back story, it gives some real perspective to the type of athlete who is usually seen in rarified air. He’s gone from debilitating poverty to insane wealth within a very short period of time. That’s a crazy situation. I don’t imagine anything could prepare him for what lies ahead. Certainly not what lies behind.