http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=shirley_paul&page=Journal-43&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos2
First of all, I didn't put this link in here specifically for this article. I put it in to introduce ya'll to one of the great writers of our time: Basketball Player Paul Shirley. I can't believe I forgot about him and have subsequently missed the first 42 installments of the Paul Shirley Journal on espn.com. He's been a journeyman basketball player who's bounced around different NBA teams and international leagues. I'd also be willing to bet he's one of the most intelligent, candid players we've had in the NBA in recent years. He really gives you a great inside perspective on life in the league.
My favorite quote from him came a few years back when he reminiscing about how he used to be smarter: "As I spend more and more time around basketball players, my brain power continues to diminish, which is not helping. I have been on a slow burn since college, where I was at least encouraged to spend half the day around semi-studious (okay, in my case, uber-studious, with the whole engineering thing) types, and my brainpower probably benefited. After four years of professional basketball, with the expected level of intelligence seeming to drain from the ranks as the don’t-go-to-college-since-you-can-get-the-guaranteed-money-now trend has taken hold, my brain is a veritable mush. The only thing left up there are a few quotes from Tommy Boy and a dozen ways to cover a pick-and-roll." I never thought I'd hear something about the NBA so uncensored from someone who was currently in the NBA. Maybe they didn't appreciate that comment and that's why he's no longer in the league.
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This quote is quite entertaining. I unfortunately think it is true though. At least in college ball you are around people who are not athletes all of the time. It allows you to see how "other students" live their lives. In college, you live by a schedule. You eat, practice, and study when people tell you to.
When players turn pro, it is a totally different atmosphere. There is so much freedom. I can understand why Pual Shirley said he felt as if his brain power diminished. I'm not saying that I think that NBA players are not smart, I just feel the structure is not that of college ball. I have said before how crucial it is for these kids to have a least 1 year out of high school before they enter the NBA draft. Paul Shirley only proves this here.
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