Reason First: Should NBA Player Jordan Bell Be Sidelined Indefinitely for Fraud?

They say that there is no “I” in team. But there is one in “win,” which points to the fact that it is a collection of individuals who make up a team. There’s also an “I” in bill. Power forward/center Jordan Bell of the National Basketball Association (NBA) team the Golden State Warriors charged an undisclosed amount of money to his assistant coach Mike Brown for purchases he made at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. What this shows is the emotional exhibition of fraud on the part of the mini-Madoff.

The forward/center for the Warriors emoted and felt that he could just use Assistant Coach Brown. His one game suspension seems to be a tame reaction to an irrational action. Bell should be fined and possibly sidelined for the rest of the season, at least for betraying his assistant coach. Bell’s actions reflect poorly on his teammates, other teams, and the entire structure of the NBA as a whole.

Bell has demonstrated dishonesty and a lack of integrity. It is suspected by the Warriors that Bell has done this same behavior on other occasions. This is a clarion call that should put other teams on alert for players who act on whim and thieve like Bell. The crux of a team is for individuals to be asked to trust one another. It is paramount that each member of the team, not only the players on the court but the team owner down to the ball boy, ought to be able to know that everyone is honorable and upfront with one another.

Bell’s conduct is a microcosm of today’s emotion-driven culture. Instead of thinking, instead of being truthful, some people choose to go the route of an adolescent and grab at anything that comes their way, regardless of whether they’ve earned it or it is rightfully theirs. The part of the story that has not been discussed much is the issue of how Bell, who is a millionaire, could more likely than not afford the bill himself. No, he shut off his mind to that fact of reality. Bell had lowered himself to the point of a savage, whether he’s a millionaire or not or whether the bill totaled one cent.

It is the fact of fraud on Bell’s side that should be addressed. This untruthful figure should impel the entire league to either suspend or release athletes who go against simple decency. This breach of reality is an irredeemable evil. Bell might be shunned from the NBA and barred from ever joining any other league. Of course, the altruism inherent in sports today will go light on one man of color that deceived another one. The reality is that Bell should not only apologize for it, but pay back Assistant Coach Brown. He should stand up like a man and take full responsibility for his actions. The single game suspension may not be enough for this bad behavior.

With the knowledge of right and wrong, Bell should have done the manly thing and never considered stealing money from his coach. Now, while Brown will most likely accept Bell’s apology and welcome him back to the court, the fact remains that the forward is a liar and a coward. All that he had to do was to simply give his own money or, for whatever reason, asked Brown for the funds to cover the bill at the hotel. Bell could’ve just been forthright and told his coach that he didn’t have the money on him at the time and that he would’ve paid back Brown. For his actions, Bell should be viewed as less than a man and a bad sport.