We are in the midst of an age where young athletes are being showcased, analyzed, and exploited in this country before they are even old enough to vote for its leaders. The national media has ranking systems and publicized opinions before these athletes even reach high school. Sebastian Telfair exemplifies the problem this presents.
“Bassy,” as he is often called, was rated the #1 basketball player in the country for his age before he reached high school. He was also the youngest player ever to attend the prestigious ABCD Camp, which is reserved for the nation’s top prospects. Telfair first turned heads there when he showed up as an incoming high school freshman and performed brilliantly against phenoms older, stronger, and supposedly better. It was then that the mystique of Sebastian Telfair began to take shape.