Ben Simmons: "I think I would’ve learned a lot more being around professional athletes. Looking back at it now, I don’t even really know what I learned financially or just being a person at LSU. I think I’ve learned a lot more this whole year, being in Philly and being a pro than I did in LSU.” “It’s a dirty business. You have to put up with it, but at the same time, it just taught me a lot. I have an image and people wanted to use that, but now I have the opportunity to control that and what I do and who I work with. It helped me. At the same time, I feel like it was really sneaky, kind of.” “If someone wants to be a pro basketball player and doesn’t want to go to college, don’t go to college. We don’t put a gun to your head. First and foremost, it’s about being a student at a university. We’re in the human development business.” ------- Well Ben, when you put it like that it really makes it seem like the NCAA is just a bunch of greedy assholes looking to exploit young and naive college athletes for their own benefit as opposed to giving them a complimentary education and a productive environment to grow and mature. To be honest, I'm not sure I like the implication that the millionaires who are liable to hand out suspensions at the drop of an illegally gifted hat aren't in it for the love of the game. Sure, they refuse to compensate the talent - that is obligated solely by age to be there - with nothing more than a couple free introductory classes en route to a degree that the most highly touted (i.e. profitable) stand next to no chance of completing any time soon. However, temporarily having your earning potential stunted at the hands of those whose pockets get lined with it is all a part of the developmental process. So why don't you watch that tongue of yours young man. After all, the only reason I can refer to you as such is because LSU fed you (on your own dime, of course), watered you, and looked after you in a way that made you blossom quicker than an extra year in your eventual profession ever could. It may have felt like a monetary juicing, but that was just the NCAA getting the most out of you as a basketball player. The fact that they also got the most out of you as an asset was just an extremely fortunate side effect, so don't be so selective when you trust the process Benjamin!
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