On one hand, it’s a sad, touching story. Syracuse University alumni and friends of basketball are being urged, through A GoFundMe campaign, to contribute money to cover the medical needs of NYC then SU star Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, who, at 52, is believed to be destitute and known to be suffering mightily from cancer.
On the other hand, it’s a sad institutionalized, disgust-raising story. Washington, 1986 first-round pick of the Nets who played three NBA seasons, was a full-scholarship enrollee at SU, a strong academic university — unless one’s recruited to play basketball or football. Thus Washington has nothing to show for it, nothing to demonstrate that his college presence was designed for anything more or better than to win the coach and the school ballgames until his eligibility expired, his presence no longer required.