Why Athletes Should Not Be Viewed As Role Models

Rick Carlisle, former head coach of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Indiana Pacers, explained his war experiences, “I felt like I was fighting for my life out there.” Bizarrely enough, the war took place at the Palace in Auburn Hills, however, it was not a military conflict between countries; this war was between two professional basketball teams and the fans that crowded the arena. On November 19, 2004 nearing the end of a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers, two elite NBA teams, Ron Artest committed a hard foul against Ben Wallace. Wallace responded by shoving Artest. Although Artest lay on the announce table to deescalate the situation, this action commenced what was arguably the most violent altercation in sports history. An unnamed fan threw a cup full of beer at Artest, and enraged, he jumped into the stands punching whomever he thought threw the beer. Another Pacer, Stephen Jackson, also joined the melee in the stands, and a multitude of fans spilled onto the court attacking other players. After cups, fists, and even chairs were exchanged in battle, arena security, alongside NBA coaches and other passive players, broke up the skirmish and restored peace to the Palace.Click Here to View Video Although for many people, this was the solidifying fact that NBA players are horrible role models, the truth is that NBA players should not be considered role models at all.

In his article “Athletes Should Not Be Expected to Be Role Models,” Steven D. Mosher argues that it is neither realistic nor fair to ask athletes to be role models. He points out that the heroics that some athletes provide are not applicable to the lifestyles of the average fan, and he adds, “The most honest athlete today may be Charles Barkley, who insists, ‘I am not a role model,’” (Mosher). The players of the National Basketball Association are expected by many to assume the position of a role model. After the infamous “Pistons-Pacers Brawl” a few years ago, the NBA attempted to clean up its image by enforcing a mandatory dress code. Players and coaches are now required to wear suits to all NBA functions. Participation in the NBA Cares Initiative, a program that is dedicated to helping underprivileged children learn to read, is obligatory to the members of the NBA. These are endeavors by David Stern, Commissioner of the NBA, to divert attention from the fight that took place. This diversion is aimed specifically at the people who view most professional basketball players as bad role models. The sentiment is believed to be the culprit behind a decrescendo in television ratings and game attendance. Since the genesis of the “post-Jordan era” there have been fewer and fewer people at the games as well as watching them on television, and this is attributed to the decline in player likeability. Professional basketball players are paid because of their ability to play basketball superiorly to others, not because they live their lives in a saintly manner.

There are few players in the league who are paid a minimum salary. The minimum annual salary for a player who has not played for at least seven years is $500,000. With contracts ranging anywhere from at least a half million to the more lucrative end like Kobe Bryant’s $136.4 million-seven year deal, people feel as though if the players are getting paid that well, they should behave more appropriately because of kids who aspire to be like them (Associated Press). Oklahoma Republican Representative J.C. Watts, who have previously played football on the collegiate level, has divulged, “Because of the stature and notoriety athletes have, they also have a responsibility, as citizens, to try to use whatever influence they have for positive things,” (Paige, Sean). NBA players are paid highly, but their contracts include few clauses that necessitate good behavior. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is an agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). More or less, it acts similarly to the way the Constitution does for the United States, governing the rights and responsibilities of the players as well as the league. The CBA only specifies that players must attend charitable functions, team practices, and other mandatory NBA events under Article VI: Player Conduct. There is also a clause to allow the NBA to institute any rule or regulation that is deemed reasonable to appropriate on-court behavior (NBPA). These laws do not limit the actions of the player off the basketball court as well they should not be able to. At any job, there are certain rules that must be followed, but there are only a few jobs, mainly governmental jobs, that govern “off-the-clock” behavior. While playing basketball, players are and should be obligated to fulfill certain behavioral requirements and actions such as the fight should be punishable. Even though the NBA distributed hefty suspensions to players involved in the fight, people should not link a player’s behavior to his ability to play basketball.

Negative behavioral association is one of the reasons many players are disliked in the NBA. Lots of players have had run-ins with the law, and because of this, people’s opinions about their abilities have changed. Even Kobe Bryant, arguably the most talented player in the league, is disliked by many. Nike has even chosen to use this trend of aversion as part of their advertisement campaign in a commercial—Bryant recites some of the negative things people say about him while short segments of video footage show some of his accomplishments, and the commercial concludes with him telling the public that people love him or hate him, but they do so for the same reasons. He is one of the most exceptional players in basketball history, but because some people think of the rape accusation against him a couple years ago, they associate that negative perception with his on-court ability. Michael Jordan set the standard for excellence in the NBA, and both his on-court and off-court conduct are admired by most. Jordan always wore suits to games and other team functions, he participated in and initiated many charitable endeavors, and he also served as the ambassador of the National Basketball Player’s Association as well as the NBA in its entirety. His majesty on the court compounded with his great interpersonal skills and his remarkable personality are some of the reasons why Jordan is the greatest basketball player in history.

History has revealed that many role-models are simply honored or beloved because of their contributions to their field. Einstein is considered one of the smartest people in history because of his intellect, not his behavior. Michelangelo is one history’s greatest artists; no one measures this because of his personality. In fact, there is little that is known, except through the reading of biographies, about the personal lives of these historical figures. Ashley Brown, author of “Professional Athletes Should Not Be Viewed as Role Models,” explains that the most critical evidence she has to back her claim is that the public rarely truly knows how an athlete behaves off-camera. She also tells that, generally, the only things we know about the personal lives of these competitors is what they want us to know (Brown). There are those who say that these professional athletes are role models because they get paid so much. As we all know, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world; his salary is higher than any basketball player, but he is seldom mentioned as a role model. If he is considered a role model, it is simply because he is rich, and it has nothing to do with his behavior. Only those people who are commissioned to be role models such as pastors, mentors, teachers, etc. should be considered role models. People can view others in any light they so choose, but only the people who are paid to be a role model or parents, who are biologically required to do so, should be held in this spectrum. Of course, there are some biblical fanatics who say that having a role model is a form of idolism, which the bible strictly prohibits. These people would agree that athletes should not be viewed as role models. If parents were to instill in their children the differences between right and wrong, they would not have to worry about the actions of others, particularly athletes, which might influence their children’s decisions.

Athletes are not paid to be role models; they are paid to play basketball. Their job is to provide entertainment by competing in a sport. As long as they continue to play the sport at the highest level that they are capable of, people should not hassle them about their image or loathe them unless specifically related to sport issues. Because they are not assigned the job of being a role model, they should not be required to be such. In all reality, parents and religious leaders are the only people who should be expected to be a role model. Anyone else should have the option to choose whether or not they want to take on the responsibility of being a role model. Society has no right to punish athletes based upon their decisions and actions away from the court or field. The only situation in which an athlete should be responsible for the mental development of any individual is if they have children, and that is only because of the parental obligation and not their profession. While they are at work, they have the responsibility to perform their job, but away from work, their life is their own to live.