PASS THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
>> SAHIL, THANK YOU.
WE THREW UP THE SCREEN THE
STATES CONSIDERING
NAME/IMAGE/LIKENESS LEGISLATION.
IF WE COULD PUT IT UP SO FOLKS
CAN GET A GOOD LOOK AT WHAT
SAHIL WAS REFERENCES.
THESE ARE THE STATES THAT ARE
CONSIDERING IT AS WE SPEAK.
I WANT TO BRING IN CHRIS BOSH.
HE IS A ENTREPRENEUR, A WRITER,
MUSIC EXECUTIVE AND BY THE WAY,
A TWO-TIME NBA CHAMPION SET TO
BE INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF
FAME.
AND HE HAS A BRAND-NEW BOOK.
ITS CALLED "LETTERS TO A YOUNG
ATHLETE."
IT JUST CAME OUT ABOUT A WEEK
AGO.
MR. BOSH, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
THIS MORNING, SIR.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I APPRECIATE BEING HERE.
>> BACK DURING MARCH MADNESS
THIS YEAR YOU WROTE A PIECE.
IT WAS CALLED, ITS MADNESS WE
DONT PAY COLLEGE ATHLETES.
YOU WROTE IN PART, I STILL
REMEMBER TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO GET GROCERIES WHEN WE
DIDNT HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY
THEM OR WHEN WE DIDNT HAVE A
CAR WE COULD USE TO GET TO THE
STORE.
CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH MORE
ABOUT WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE WAS
AS A COLLEGE ATHLETE AND HOW THE
NCAA RULES AGAINST PROFITING OFF
YOURSELF AFFECTED YOU
PERSONALLY?
>> WELL, OF COURSE.
THE FIRST THING THAT I LOVE
DOING IS TO DESCRIBE THE USUAL
DAY FOR A STUDENT ATHLETE.
THAT USUALLY ENTAILS WEIGHT
TRAINING, PRACTICING WITH YOUR
TEAM, GOING TO YOUR CLASSES AND
MANDATORY STUDY HALL.
I DONT KNOW IF THEY STILL DO
THOSE THINGS NOW.
I HAVENT TALKED ABOUT EATING OR
I HAVENT TALKED ABOUT A SOCIAL
LIFE.
ITS ALMOST LIKE THESE KIDS
ARE -- OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN
ARE WORKING TWO FULL-TIME JOBS
AND AFTER -- I REMEMBER WALKING
HOME AFTER A WOMENS BASKETBALL
GAME, NOT HAVING A CAR, AND THEN
NOT HAVING A COUPLE OF DOLLARS
IN MY POCKET TO GET SOMETHING TO
EAT, EVEN IF I DID WANT TO.
HAVING THOSE FEELINGS ARE
STRANGE.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW YOU
WILL PLAY ON ESPN THE NEXT DAY
OR THAT YOU CAN SEE NEW
BUILDINGS GOING UP ACROSS
UNIVERSITIES AND YOU ARE
STRUGGLE
STRUGGLING.
THERES A QUOTE I LIKE IN THAT
PASSAGE THAT I WROTE IS THAT, AS
OPPOSED TO PENALIZING THE
STUDENT ATHLETES AND THE
UNIVERSITIES FOR GIVING THAT KID
A JACKET BECAUSE ITS ILLEGAL,
WE SHOULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP
HIM FROM BEING COLD.
IM NOT SAYING ITS AN EASY
SOLUTION.
BUT ITS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE
TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT AND
TRY TO FIGURE OUT IN THIS
COUNTRY.
>> THERE ARE NO CURRENT PLAYERS
IN THE HEARING THATS HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW ON CAPITOL HILL.
NO CURRENT PLAYERS.
DO YOU THINK THAT CONGRESS CAN
GET A REAL SENSE OF WHAT COLLEGE
ATHLETES NEED IF THEYRE NOT
HEARING DIRECTLY FROM THE
ATHLETES?
>> YOU KNOW, I DONT THINK SO.
IM GOING TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE
STUDENT ATHLETES WHO HAVE LED
DIFFERENT PUSHES.
IM SURE THERE ARE MANY
ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE THAT
WANT TO BE HEARD.
I WOULD DEFINITELY CHALLENGE
CONGRESS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
HEARING FROM THE SOURCE, TO HEAR
THESE EXPERIENCES FROM THESE
TALENTED ATHLETES SO THAT WE CAN
FIGURE THESE THINGS OUT.
I DONT WANT THIS TO CONTINUE.
I DONT WANT STUDENT ATHLETES TO
FEEL LIKE THEY ARE STUCK BETWEEN
A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE OF
COMPETING, TRYING TO GET AN
EDUCATION AND TRYING TO HAVE
FUN, BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A MODE
OF THEIR LIVES WHEN YOU CAN DO
ALL THREE.
LIKE I SAID BEFORE, ITS A VERY,
VERY COMPLICATED TOPIC.
I JUST WANT THE CONVERSATIONS TO
CONTINUE.
I DO WANT CONGRESS TO HEAR FROM
THESE STUDENT ATHLETES AND HEAR
THEIR STORIES.
>> IN THAT PIECE YOU WROTE
THAT -- YOU MENTIONED THAT
THINGS ARE TOUGHER FOR FEMALE
COLLEGE ATHLETES WHO DONT
GENERALLY GET THE SAME COVERAGE
OR EVEN AS WE HAVE SEEN
EQUITABLE FACILITIES TO USE AS
ATHLETES.
DO YOU THINK A CHANGE LIKE THIS
WOULD BE AN EQUALIZER ON THAT
FRONT?
>> I THINK SO.
THAT IS A PART OF THE
CONVERSATION AS WELL.
I THINK IT ALL CAME TO A HEAD
WHEN -- LIKE YOU WERE REFERRING
TO, WE SAW THE VAST DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE FACILITIES FOR THE
WOMENS AND THE FACILITIES FOR
THE MENS.
THOSE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT NEED
TO BE SPOKEN ABOUT AS WELL.
WHEN I WAS AT GEORGIA TECH, OUR
WOMEN WOULD PRACTICE EVERY DAY
AT 5:00 A.M., EVERY DAY AT 5:00
A.M.
THAT WAS SUCH -- IM SURE A
STRAIN ON THEIR BODY, A STRAIN
ON THEIR MENTAL FATIGUE, THEIR
MENTAL HEALTH AND THESE ARE --
THEY HAVE TO GO TO CLASS.
THEY HAVE TO PRACTICE.
WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER TOOLS IN
PLACE TO HELP AID THESE STUDENT
ATHLETES.
I GIVE MUCH RESPECT TO THE WOMEN
WHO PLAY SPORTS.
THEY HAVE SACRIFICED MUCH MORE
THAN WE HAVE.
>> THERE ARE SOME ATHLETES, AS
YOU KNOW, LIKE TIM TEBOW WHO
HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF THE IDEA,
BROADLY SAYING IT TAKES AWAY
FROM THE TEAM MENTALITY.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THOSE
CRITICS?
>> I WOULD DISAGREE
RESPECTFULLY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS
AN AMATEUR SPORT BUT ITS A
BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY.
IF YOU ARE COMING IN A SITUATION
TO WHERE YOU DONT HAVE ANY
MONEY BUT YOU SEE THAT THE
STANDS ARE FULL EVERY GAME,
THATS GOT TO BE KIND OF -- ITS
GOT TO BE DISHEARTENING.
LETS BE FRANK, I AM FROM A
DIFFERENT PART OF AMERICA THAN
TIM TEBOW.
IM GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT
VALUES, DIFFERENT IDEALS.
IM SURE HE PROBABLY HAD A
COUPLE DOLLARS IN HIS POCKET
BECAUSE HIS FAMILY COULD AFFORD
IT.
A LOT OF STUDENT ATHLETES IN
THESE POSITIONS ARE COMING FROM
AN AREA OF POVERTY.
THEY ARE THE BREADWINNERS FOR
THEIR FAMILY.
THE HOPE FOR THEIR FAMILY.
JUST LIKE IN MY SITUATION AND
MANY OTHERS, THEY ARE SOME OF
THE FIRST TO GO TO COLLEGE.
THEY ARE SOME OF THE FIRST TO
GET A HIGHER EDUCATION AND BE
ABLE TO COMPETE ON A NATIONAL
LEVEL IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORT.
I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.
ITS BECAUSE I WENT THROUGH THAT
EXPERIENCE.
VERY SHORT, BUT I SHARED THAT
WITH OTHER STUDENT ATHLETES AND
I KNOW THEY FEEL THE SAME WAY.
>> LETS TALK ABOUT YOUR BOOK
WHILE I HAVE YOU HERE.
IT FOCUSES ON LIFE AFTER THE
GAME.
HOW TO USE WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM
SPORTS IN THE NEXT STAGES OF YR
YOUR LIFE.
WHAT LED YOU TO WRITE THE BOOK?
WHAT DO YOU HOPE READERS GET OUT
OF IT?
>> FOR THOSE WHO DONT KNOW, I
WAS IN A POSITION WHERE I HAD TO
RETIRE FROM THE GAME BECAUSE OF
A MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
I HAD PULMONARY EMBOW LIFTS SELI
AND A BLOOD CLOT.
I HAD TO STOP PLAYING THE GAME I
LOVE.
I FOUND MYSELF IN A MOMENT OF
REFLECTION.
I WAS ABLE TO THINK ABOUT THOSE
STORIES, THOSE VALUES I FEEL
HELPED ME BE SUCCESSFUL FULFUL
THROUGHOUT MY LIFE AND CAREER.
IVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE
THAT THING TO FIND IT AND TO
FIND MENTORS AND FIND FRIENDS
AND TO FIND COACHES AND
TEAMMATES AND THEY HAVE GIVEN ME
AS WELL AS THE EXPERIENCES, THEY
HAVE GIVEN ME SO MANY THINGS TO
BE THANKFUL FOR.
IM REVERSE ENGINEERING MY
SUCCESS IN THE HOPES THAT NOT
ONLY YOUNG ATHLETES BUT EVERYONE
OUT THERE WHO IS TRYING TO
ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING GREAT, THIS
IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.
I FEEL YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING IN
HERE THAT WILL MOTIVATE YOU TO
CONTINUE TO KEEP GOING.
ITS FULL OF GEMS YOU CAN TAKE
FOR YOURSELF.
THESE ARE THINGS I UTILIZED IN
MY LIFE THAT I HAVE SEEN SUCCESS
WITH IN BECOMING AN NBA PLAYER
AND A CHAMPION AND A GOLD
MEDALLIST IN THE GAME.
I WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE IT AND USE
IT FOR THEMSELVES.
>> I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID
NOT ASK YOU, WHILE I HAVE YOU
HERE, WHO DO WE LIKE IN THE
PLAYOFFS?
>> ITS A GOOD ONE.
I THINK THE NETS ARE THE
FAVORITES FOR EVERYONE.
THEY ARE PLAYING WELL RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT
THE SUNS.
I WANT TO SEE GOOD BASKETBALL
PLAY PLAYED.
PLAYED. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE CHRIS PAUL,
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE CHRIS PAUL,
THE OLD, GRIZZLESD, SAVVY VET
WIN.
>> ANOTHER SIGN WE ARE GETTING
OLD, WHEN CHRIS PAUL IS OLD AND
A VET.
THATS A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
>> I KNOW.
>> CHRIS BOSH, THEY CAN BEAT THE
NETS.
THANK YOU.