Who needs high school?

So a high school junior recently announced he said he would skip his senior year in high school to play professionally in Europe for two years and then enter the NBA (aka once he is eligible for the NBA). As predicted when someone finally decided to leave high school early because of basketball, the world ended.

Oh wait.

While there have been wonderful sentiments actually stating why this is a good move (it is for him), most people continue to harp on a few things that make no sense to me whatsoever.

He needs to get an education? Really? Because he is guaranteed to pay attention and learn while in high school or one year of college? If his basketball career pans out like it is supposed to then he really won't use that education anyway. If it doesn't ... at least he made money playing a game when he could.

By going to Europe to develop his game, he will enter a world where he can focus on getting stronger and more skilled against bigger and better players than high school or college. He can make money instead of playing for a college system that would just use his talents for basically nothing. Lastly, he puts himself in a position to make more money down the road by becoming a better, more mature basketball player.

I understand why some people may think he should stay in school and get an education. Education is very important ... if you aren't offered millions of dollars to do something else. When you are offered millions of dollars to do something else, you put school on a back burner. However, if you are outraged or think he should stay in school then you better have the same beliefs for any professional without a GED or high school diploma: actresses like Miley Cyrus, singers like the Jonas Brothers, other athletes like Freddy Adu or the numerous tennis players that were the darling of our athletic eye, etc. etc.

While many of us wish Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers were stuck in high school and not polluting our pop culture with their "Hey we are selling sex to young kids, but masking it with purity rings" none of us can blame them for making as much money as possible when they can, regardless of age.

Bottom line ... if someone offered me 4 million dollars to go do something I enjoyed doing instead of go to my senior year of high school, in 2004 I would have had 4 million dollars and no high school diploma. The hope is obviously I would continue making money doing that thing I loved. If for some reason that money ended, then I would get my GED and go to college. If the money continued ... I'd keep getting that money.

Here's the kicker ... I don't even really care about money, but I know not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Sometimes I wonder why America has debates when an African-American leaves school early to be a professional athlete, but when white teeny-bopper entertainers or tennis players do the same they are given awards and magazine spreads. I hate nothing worse than hypocrisy. I say ... go play. Make your money and become a better player. If you get hurt or become a bust ... at least you got paid when you got hurt or became a bust instead of doing so in college. That "at least he got an education" bullshit ... guess what kind of education $1 million dollars can get you.

Americans are dumb. Or racist. But I repeat myself.