National Basketball Association and Resident Aliens connection

While brainstorming today, I became a little frustrated because I wanted to write an immigration blog that would appeal to many of us. First let me ask how many of you will watch the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs and championship game this year? You may be asking yourself how is basketball related to resident aliens? Believe me by the time you finish reading this blog you will be surprised at the facts that I learned on the internet.

During the 2000-1 NBA season the NBA had a total of 46 international players from 28 countries. Hakeem Olajuwon was a basketball player who immigrated here from Africa to play basketball at the University of Houston after his senior year of high school. On average there is a three to five year wait to attain a visa to come to America. Hakeem was eligible in less then a year from graduating from high school simply because he had the ability to entertain Americans with his basketball skills.

Because Hakeem possessed the ability to dunk the basketball, jump at high parameters, rebound the ball and block shots he entertained students, alumni and the television viewers across the United States. After graduating college, he became the number one draft pick over Michael Jordan in 1984 earning 6.3 million.

Although he hadn’t attained citizenship the NBA welcomed his skills to the league because his basketball skills had the potential to bring lots of earnings to the association. Currently, a ticket to an NBA may peak at $100 plus depending on your location in the stadium/arena. While employed by the Houston Rockets team Hakeem's salary peaked at 14.3 million. Tell me why is it that we are willing to accept those who entertain over the immigrants who only poesess basic labor skills?

Should those who poesses talent be treated better then those who don’t? Currently, Yao Ming is the most famous international player in the NBA. He has played against Americans in the Olympics and the owners of Houston Rockets decided to offer him employment here in the United States.

It’s evident that these players are brought here to bring more revenue to the proprietors. Why does their talent allow their visas to be expedited? How many years are they allowed to stay here in the United States on their visa? Next time you are sitting down watching basketball, soccer, and tennis think about how those immigrants. Do you believe they have gone throught the same struggles as a farmer wishing to attain a visa here to America?

I guess their talent makes them extraordinary so we must go to extremes to get them here to America at any cost. Some proprietors are willing to pay immigrants billions of dollars to play sports here in the United States but we couldn’t find housing for Hurricane Katrina survivors? I guess we are truly showing our priorities as a country.