Former NBA player Caron Butler made some mistakes early in life, so what better way to curb that potential path other children might take than by speaking to them first-hand about the dangers of his experience?
That’s why the 38-year-old journeyman who played for nine different teams during his 14-year NBA career, returned to Roosevelt Elementary School in his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin as “principal of the day.”
Butler shared much of his story with students in a school assembly. He told them how he spent time in juvenile detention after being arrested multiple times and dealing drugs before he turned 14 years old.
“I had a hard time building good habits … I had the guardians of the school that would always try to teach you the right things, and I just wouldn’t listen,” he told students, according to the Journal Times.
However, he was able to “right the ship” before it was too late thanks to turning to the Bible, picking up the slack in school, and taking a job at Burger King. He earned a scholarship to play college basketball at UConn before embarking on a professional career.
Following his talk, where students where able to ask questions, two students got into a fight, and one of them was in tears, so Butler took the leadership reins.
“I told him that I see myself in him and you don’t have to act out for attention,” Butler said. “You can do a lot of good and be consistent doing good to get attention. And he understood that he just wanted some attention and somebody to recognize him.
“Our last encounter was a smile and a walk away like ‘I’m going to be checking on you’ and that’s what it’s all about. It’s influencing the next wave to be a better version of yourself.”
