One of the more flattering compliments you can pay a multimillionaire athlete is, “money didn’t change him.”
That being said, there are the times that you wished it had.
Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby was arrested Monday night in Texas after the police officers who pulled him over found marijuana in his Porsche. Not exactly the “green car” environmentalists would endorse.
It’s not that the 37-year-old deserves a Nancy Grace-like reprimand if he ingested the drug. Compare the deaths, violence, car accidents and belligerence associated with marijuana to that of alcohol and you’ll be hard-pressed to prove that the former is more destructive.
But this isn’t about condoning Camby’s illegal choice of recreation. It’s about condemning his choice not to utilize something equally green — his cash.
I can say with conviction that I am one of the least qualified Pacific Northwest residents to pen the future self-help book: “How to Enjoy Illegal Substances Without Ever Having Them in Your Car.” However, if my career earnings topped $100 million like Camby’s does, I’m pretty sure I could figure out a way.
The thing is, Camby is hardly this principle’s sole violator.
Eight years ago, former Blazers Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace were pulled over on I-5 and caught with weed in their car. Meanwhile, San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum was cited for marijuana in Hazel Dell in 2009.
And over the past few years, the likes of Charles Barkley, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Richardson, Donte Stallworth and hordes of others high-profile athletes have been busted for driving under the influence of alcohol. Assuming Camby wasn’t high while he was behind the wheel Monday night, those offenses are mountains compared to his speed bump.
Nobody needs enlightenment on the dangers drunk driving presents, just as no one needs education on the stain it leaves on one’s reputation.
And while you can at least understand a starving college student not ponying up $50 for the cab ride home, can you really explain a multimillionaire not wanting to part ways with the same amount when it’s basically the tip money for his Cristal?
But big-time athletes, despite their big-time bank accounts, are human just like us. Many people who roll their eyes at their indiscretions would be committing them if afforded the same lifestyle. Except, unlike the Dairy Queen night manager, the sports figure’s blunder is broadcast to the nation and can often cast an unshakable shadow.
Former Sacramento Kings coach Eric Musselman never seemed to regain his authority over his players after his DUI arrest five years ago. And while players can generally restore their reputation, Camby may be on unusually tenuous ground given the Blazers unfortunate history with the law.
Portland forward Gerald Wallace stresses that every player in the NBA should have a personal assistant. And based on the aforementioned incidents, the job description may extend beyond dry-cleaning pickup.
Ideally, professional athletes would spend their downtime at home drinking protein shakes and, I don’t know, building decks. But this obviously isn’t the world we live in.
Still, with these guys spending most of their adult lives swimming in dollars, is it too much to ask for a little sense?
Matt Calkins cover the Trail Blazers for The Columbian. He can be contacted at 360-735-4528 or email matt.calkins@columbian.com
