Is It Time to Forgive Rashad McCants? His Recent Actions May Change Your Mind...
I know it's crazy to even think about it.
UNC Basketball confirms that during the 2020 ACC tournament, Rashad McCants showed up to the UNC Basketball office and left a letter to the program. UNC Basketball would like the contents of that letter to remain private until McCants is ready to discuss the details publicly. I can confirm from other sources, it was a positive letter.
Yes, my face did the same thing...
To give you a quick recap, in 2014, McCants made crucial and damning allegations against Carolina. McCants came forth with his 'truth' regarding his education at the university and bogus classes. He has stated numerous times that tutors did his homework, taking "paper classes," and concluded that Head Coach Roy Williams knew all about it,
"The question is, what are we talking about, honestly. I mean I have a check being written to me from the University of North Carolina for over $10 million due to the exploitation of me as a player and the lack of education that I received," McCants revealed, "The NCAA has a check for me for over $300 million to help me facilitate these sports education programs across the country. These are things that's in the works."
The university denied these allegations and directed McCants to speak with Kenneth Wainstein regarding his education at UNC.
The fury you feel is understandable, but McCants is also the one that helped bring UNC their fourth Championship banner and Coach Roy Williams' first UNC title. McCants did some questionable things, but you can't deny his contribution to the Carolina legacy.
It's incredibly shocking but also telling on why he chose to do this in person; He could've quickly gone to press, reacted on social media, or not done anything at all. It's been six years with him doubling down on the accusations; three years ago was his most recent interview concerning his allegations. If he is writing to apologize, he knew that this type of apology warranted to be seen with action and sincerity; they deserved to see him. While most of you will probably scream in disagreement, for anyone to show up and apologize to you in person, says a lot about the growth they've experienced and how much they respect you.
There could be many reasons why McCants wants to turn things around, and some of them could be ill-mannered, but what if it's honestly just correcting wrongs and seeking peace? Following McCants' allegations, his NBA career suffered and, in turn, lead him down a seeming path of isolation. Despite success in the BIG3 (McCants has been ballin low-key), it has to be a lonely journey for someone who was loved and celebrated during his time at UNC; even to this day, his jersey is still hung in the rafters. It's worth noting that no matter the allegations, Carolina did not erase his contributions. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that validation from fans can change anyone, but I do think that sometimes, you want to come clean and change the course of your livelihood.
He still hasn't spoken with his former teammates...
In a 2017 interview with Sports Illustrated, McCants revealed that he hasn't spoken to any of his former teammates or anyone from the UNC program,
"Not once. Unfortunately, the truth can surface, and still, no one can come forth and support what's happened. " McCants said. "I never did it any of it for support. I did it for the future, making sure we get compensated as athletes, and if we don't get compensated, at least lets us get a good education. From that standpoint, if they don't support, they don't support. The truth is everlasting. Regardless of anyone denying these claims, the truth is always going to come forth."
McCants hasn't been in many conversations with his former teammates since the whole charade began. A teammate shared his feelings on McCants and how he didn't believe that McCants was wrong about expressing his feelings, but that he went about it the wrong way. The colleague felt that McCants didn't have to put the entire university and basketball program in jeopardy to fight for kids to be paid and receive an education. Former Duke player and ESPN analyst, Jay Bilas, was used as an example of someone who has played and benefited from College Basketball and, as a professional, used his platform to champion for student-athletes to receive full benefits under the NCAA. The majority of professional athletes believe in the payment of student-athletes, and most have been incredibly vocal; luckily, their programs didn't suffer in the process.
So, where does this leave the person who was hurt the most, Coach Roy Williams? Former players shared their thoughts,
Anon Player 1: "Coach is going to forgive him and welcome him with open arms. That's just who Coach is; He's a softie as much as he tries to portray a tough guy (chuckles). I'm sure the decision will be a tough one. He doesn't have it in him to hate anyone or even be mad at someone beyond a basketball game and even that anger is temporary. It's just who he is, a great coach and guy.
Anon Player 2: "He (Coach Williams) was very disappointed and hurt in him, but I think he will forgive him. The disappointment will always be there because of the father/son relationship Coach has with a lot of his athletes. How it's perceived by him (Williams) and his teammates, during his time at Carolina, will give mood to everyone else and how we should receive him. We will follow Coach's lead."
Seeing that dynamic for anyone will be shocking, but also a showing to fans that a mutual understanding has taken place and the road to healing has begun. And no, it won't be easy, but it'll be worth it for everyone involved, especially teammates. That bond is sacred, and McCants will have a long road ahead of him before his teammates let down their guard. If there is one thing I've learned about Carolina Basketball over the years, they take family incredibly serious and close to heart.
McCants has a lot to offer to UNC and its program. Hopefully, mutual parties have reached out and begun healing.
*A million times I've corrected my comments to make sure I don't take away McCants' truth. In no way do I want to diminish his feelings because they don't reflect my experiences or the people I know associated with the story. Like all of us, McCants deserves to be heard and listened to.
Like you, I can't wait to see how this develops.
