Michigan State basketball: Derrick Nix reveals major MSU athletics issue
Former Michigan State basketball star Derrick Nix revealed a major issue plaguing the athletic department. What’d the former Spartan have to say?
Let me preface this by saying that anyone who didn’t play sports at Michigan State cannot truly empathize with Derrick Nix over an issue he recently brought up over social media.
When you’re an athlete at Michigan State, everyone loves you. Nix was a perfect example of that in his time in East Lansing. He was a legend around campus and Tom Izzo took him under his wing and helped mold him from a quiet big with plenty of untapped potential into a more polished post player with devastatingly-good footwork for a guy his size.
Nix went from role player to key figure, but his time at Michigan State may have been marred by what has transpired following his playing days.
The former MSU big man took to social media to talk about the family atmosphere only working when it’s convenient — a major problem both at MSU and around the NCAA.
Being an athlete at MSU is a great thing but once you leave and you don’t make the nba of nfl they pretty much don’t give 2 shits about you next group in but in the process we were treated like salves I couldn’t go back to MSU and get shit ):
— Derrick Nix (@DerrickNix25) October 29, 2018
He later cleared the air regarding the situation, stating that he loves Izzo and the point isn’t that getting an education was a poor price to pay for four years of college basketball. He was rather stating, presumably, that Michigan State puts more emphasis on connecting with former players who are playing professionally, not those who couldn’t make the highest level.
I love Izzo and every other coach on the staff you guys missed the whole point ): you would actually have to be or been an athlete at MSU to understand what I’m talking. #R.I.P to da dumb followers
— Derrick Nix (@DerrickNix25) October 29, 2018
This isn’t just a problem with Michigan State, though, and Nix is trying to talk about it on a broader level while using his alma mater as an example.
Former players are always regarded as “family” but when they find themselves in tough situations, former players and even athletic department figures turn their backs. It’s an issue that has spread throughout the country and makes the NCAA and its employees look heartless.
Not every NCAA athlete is going to go pro and have a successful post-playing career life, and Nix is trying to get that point across.
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Michigan State must be betting in this regard, and so does the rest of the NCAA.