Clippers heading back to class

Los Angeles Clippers forward Spencer Hawes (left) looks to pass the ball defended by Houston Rockets

guard James Harden (right) and forward Donatas Motiejunas (center) during the first quarter of an NBA

basketball game in Los Angeles, California, March 15, 2015. Photo: AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo

LOS ANGELES — Spencer Hawes has spent seven times as long playing

basketball professionally for the NBA as he spent playing at the University of

Washington. He starred for the school for only one season before being picked

in an NBA draft.

The Clippers forward-center was on campus so briefly he did not even choose a

major. He later discovered that the classes he took had little relevance to his

basketball career.

“No offense to some of the sciences and humanities and whatnot,” Hawes said,

“but it’s not really my passion." His studies, he said, did not prove "to be that

helpful later on in life.”

Still, there is something tugging at him to complete his coursework: He promised

his mother he would do it.

By Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.22.15

Word Count 898

Degrees Are In The Works

Hawes is nothing unusual for the Clippers. There are 11 current players who do

not have a college degree and all plan to eventually get one.

Four have graduated: J.J. Redick, Ekpe Udoh, C.J. Wilcox and Dahntay Jones.

Of them, Jones has already started work toward a master’s degree in business

and Redick said he would also like to get a business degree once his playing

career ends.

It would be easy for NBA players to be indifferent about their college degrees

when they already have millions of dollars in the bank.

In addition, they rarely have a day off during a season that can last eight

months, and they like to spend summers training and traveling.

“It’s just so hard to do it,” point guard Austin Rivers said of going back to

college. “You’re so busy during the season and when you finally get time off, it’s

like, do you want to go to school or actually spend time with your family?”

A degree would take some extra doing for Rivers because he spent only one

year at Duke University. He said he would prefer to take courses in the summer,

meaning it could take seven or eight seasons to get his diploma.

His Father's Footsteps

The reward for all that work would be a degree from a top U.S. college, which

could lead to a job in television broadcasting and later coaching.

Austin's drive to finish college is inspired by the experience of his father, Doc,

who returned to Marquette University during summers early in his own

basketball career. Doc Rivers finished his degree and went on to become a

sports broadcaster. He now coaches the Clippers.

“I went back my first two years in the NBA,” the elder Rivers said. “Everyone told

me, including my professors, ‘If you didn’t go back right away, you’re probably

not going back,’ so I went back.”

Each Player's Unique Decision

The big debate among players who choose to go back to school is whether or

not to be on campus. Many like the convenience of online classes, but others

have picked majors that require more direct involvement with classmates and

teachers.

“Drama major is kind of hard online,” point guard Nate Robinson said. “It doesn’t

really make any sense.”

Robinson needs to finish one more year of coursework toward a degree he

hopes will help him develop as an actor. He has already co-starred in the “Uncle

Drew” Pepsi commercials alongside Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving.

Veteran forward Hedo Turkoglu is unique among his Clippers teammates

because he never spent a single day in college. Having started his professional

career in Europe when he was 16, Turkoglu was ineligible to play at the college

level in the United States, where college players must be amateurs, and never

received money to play. He said he would like to eventually get a degree in

business management.

“Hopefully,” Turkoglu said of going to college, it will make things "a lot easier

when I stop playing.”

For forward Jordan Hamilton, attending college at all was an achievement. As a

teenager he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),

and from seventh to ninth grades he received 22 Fs. Hamilton took medicine to

help him combat the disorder and was accepted to Texas, where he spent two

years before turning pro.

Now Hamilton hopes to complete a degree in communications that would allow

him to become a television host after his NBA career.

The Goals Are Set

Some might wonder why twenty- and thirty-somethings would bother going back

to school when they are already extremely wealthy. Clippers point guard Chris

Paul has made roughly $116 million in salary alone during his 10 NBA seasons.

On top of that, he has earned a lot of extra money from starring in a series of

State Farm Insurance ads.

“A wise man once told me, ‘If you’ve got money, you don’t need a degree,’"

quipped center DeAndre Jordan, who was drafted by the Clippers after one

year at Texas A&M University.

Jordan then turned serious and said he would like to finish college because it is

what his grandmother has always wanted him to do.

Paul said he intended to take classes at Wake Forest University in the coming

months because he expected to spend the summer at home in North Carolina.

Paul is resolved to earn a college degree — he wants one almost as much as he

wants to win an NBA championship.

“I told my mom, even if I have to walk with little Chris,” Paul said, referring to his

5-year-old son, “I’m going to get it.”

Quiz

1 Select the sentence from the article that BEST shows that most players who do not

have a degree intend to get one sooner or later.

(A) Hawes is nothing unusual for the Clippers. There are 11 current

players who do not have a college degree and all plan to eventually

get one.

(B) The big debate among players who choose to go back to school is

whether or not to be on campus.

(C) “Everyone told me, including my professors, ‘If you didn’t go back

right away, you’re probably not going back,’ so I went back.”

(D) The reward for all that work would be a degree from a top U.S.

college, which could lead to a job in television broadcasting and

later coaching.

2 Select the paragraph from the section "The Goals Are Set" that BEST describes one

of the reasons why players are having second thoughts about getting a college

degree.

3 Which sentence from the section "Each Player's Unique Decision" expresses the

central idea of the section?

(A) Many like the convenience of online classes, but others have

picked majors that require more direct involvement with classmates

and teachers.

(B) “Drama major is kind of hard online,” point guard Nate Robinson

said. “It doesn’t really make any sense.”

(C) Now Hamilton hopes to complete a degree in communications that

would allow him to become a television host after his NBA career.

(D) “Hopefully,” Turkoglu said of going to college, it will make things "a

lot easier when I stop playing.”

4 Select one of the following exerpts from the article captures the key ideas of the

article accurately.

(A) “No offense to some of the sciences and humanities and whatnot,”

Hawes said, “but it’s not really my passion." His studies, he said,

did not prove "to be that helpful later on in life.”

(B) “It’s just so hard to do it,” point guard Austin Rivers said of going

back to college. “You’re so busy during the season and when you

finally get time off, it’s like, do you want to go to school or actually

spend time with your family?”

(C) “I went back my first two years in the NBA,” the elder Rivers said.

“Everyone told me, including my professors, ‘If you didn’t go back

right away, you’re probably not going back,’ so I went back.”

(D) “A wise man once told me, ‘If you’ve got money, you don’t need a

degree,’" quipped center DeAndre Jordan, who was drafted by the

Clippers after one year at Texas A&M University.

Answer Key

1 Select the sentence from the article that BEST shows that most players who do not

have a degree intend to get one sooner or later.

(A) Hawes is nothing unusual for the Clippers. There are 11 current

players who do not have a college degree and all plan to

eventually get one.

(B) The big debate among players who choose to go back to school is

whether or not to be on campus.

(C) “Everyone told me, including my professors, ‘If you didn’t go back

right away, you’re probably not going back,’ so I went back.”

(D) The reward for all that work would be a degree from a top U.S.

college, which could lead to a job in television broadcasting and

later coaching.

2 Select the paragraph from the section "The Goals Are Set" that BEST describes one

of the reasons why players are having second thoughts about getting a college

degree.

Paragraph 20:

Some might wonder why twenty- and thirty-somethings would bother

going back to school when they are already extremely wealthy.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul has made roughly $116 million in

salary alone during his 10 NBA seasons. On top of that, he has earned

a lot of extra money from starring in a series of State Farm Insurance

ads.

3 Which sentence from the section "Each Player's Unique Decision" expresses the

central idea of the section?

(A) Many like the convenience of online classes, but others have

picked majors that require more direct involvement with

classmates and teachers.

(B) “Drama major is kind of hard online,” point guard Nate Robinson

said. “It doesn’t really make any sense.”

(C) Now Hamilton hopes to complete a degree in communications that

would allow him to become a television host after his NBA career.

(D) “Hopefully,” Turkoglu said of going to college, it will make things "a

lot easier when I stop playing.”

4 Select one of the following exerpts from the article captures the key ideas of the

article accurately.

(A) “No offense to some of the sciences and humanities and whatnot,”

Hawes said, “but it’s not really my passion." His studies, he said,

did not prove "to be that helpful later on in life.”

(B) “It’s just so hard to do it,” point guard Austin Rivers said of going

back to college. “You’re so busy during the season and when you

finally get time off, it’s like, do you want to go to school or actually

spend time with your family?”

(C) “I went back my first two years in the NBA,” the elder Rivers

said. “Everyone told me, including my professors, ‘If you didn’t

go back right away, you’re probably not going back,’ so I went

back.”

(D) “A wise man once told me, ‘If you’ve got money, you don’t need a

degree,’" quipped center DeAndre Jordan, who was drafted by the

Clippers after one year at Texas A&M University.