John Stockton thinks NIL is ruining the game of basketball: “The lessons that we need to learn as humans to function in our society are being lost” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Public criticism of NIL deals is increasing, with many believing that turning young basketball players into millionaires while in college is not a good thing. The legendary John Stockton is one of those who has joined this growing list of critics.

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When talking about NIL deals, there are multiple aspects to consider. The AAU system is connected to it, and in recent times, it has come under fire for not instilling the right fundamentals in its players. Instead, it produces one-dimensional athletes who later get lost in the professional world when more is expected of them.

Money changes young players

Stockton is one of those textbook examples of a floor general, a “dying breed” in today’s game. While he says he doesn’t mind players earning that much money, he believes the money changes these young men’s entire perception of the game.

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“I think it’s ruining the game and I think it’s ruining it in a big way,” he said on the Mavericks Approach podcast. “The lessons that we need to learn as humans to function in our society are being lost because of it. So now you can’t coach a kid, help him be a better man, better citizen, because you have to bow out to him so he can come back next year. So, you need to pay him. It’s all about pay; it isn’t about the quality of play.”

“When you sit on the bench, you learn. If you lose, you learn. When you lose, now it’s just a bad situation; it’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll just go and make more money here.’ If you don’t play, ah, the coach doesn’t like me. If you dig down to see what’s missing to gain that coach’s favor or to win this game, those are the lessons sports is about in my opinion,” he added.

Related: “The blue chip definitely has its peril” – John Stockton warns Gonzaga not to let elite recruits erode the program’s culture

The essence of the sport is being lost

Stockton comes from a time when the NCAA was not a professional league and he had to learn the hard way how to reach the top. He knew that no one would help him as much as he could help himself through daily work and self-improvement.

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Young players who get million-dollar deals at such an early stage of their careers instantly lose that hunger and desire to improve.

Stockton believes that the essence of the sport is being lost and that’s not far from the truth. Many European players come to college in the U.S., which has sparked big debates overseas. Some clubs have even gone so far as to consider shutting down their youth systems because there’s no point if there’s no reward for their work.

Charles Barkley, Stockton’s teammate from the Dream Team, shares a similar opinion. He thinks NIL deals should have a certain limit.

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“I think there’s gonna be tremendous resentment on every team,” Barkley said. “I also have a problem with payin’ a kid to come to my college who’s never done anything.”

This ties into another problem with NIL deals. Once a player comes to a college and gets a large sum of money, he can leave after just one season, leaving the college high and dry. As Stockton says, if he’s not satisfied with his role or playing time, he’ll choose the easier path of switching teams.

The player, at the same time, develops the wrong values that are essential for any athlete. Sports are all about competing and winning. At the end of the day, that’s the edge and drive that playing basketball gives you, and if you lose that, you’re on the wrong path.

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Related: John Stockton admits he is not watching the NBA anymore because it’s way too soft: “Fans want you to go out there and do what they can’t do, not go out there, shake hands and hug”

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Vece Paes – the doctor and administrator

Even as he played international hockey, Paes continued his medical studies and later specialised in sports medicine. His medical expertise saw him work with athletes across sports, helping them recover from injuries and extend their careers.

Rugby, in particular, became a lifelong passion. He represented the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club in the sport and later served as president of the Indian Rugby Football Union from 1996 to 2002, overseeing a period of structural reforms aimed at growing the game in India.

He also served as a medical consultant for the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the team doctor of the Indian Davis Cup team.

Vece Paes’ expertise also seeped into cricket in a major way as he pioneered anti-doping and age-verification systems as Sports Medicine Consultant to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) between 2001 and 2009.

He then took charge of BCCI’s national anti-doping efforts. Administrators like Ratnakar Shetty have credited him with transforming BCCI’s approach to athlete welfare.

A true sporting legacy

Vece Paes married Jennifer Paes, a former India women’s basketball captain and fellow Olympian. Jennifer was also the great-granddaughter of legendary Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt.

Together, Vece and Jennifer raised three children – two daughters and one son.

Their son, Leander Paes, would go on to become one of India’s most decorated tennis players.

Leander famously won the men’s singles bronze at the Atlanta 1996, ending India’s 44-year wait for an individual Olympic medal, and won 18 Grand Slam doubles titles.

In fact, it was his father’s Olympic medal which set Leander on his path.

“Ever since I was a little boy, I used to polish my father’s Olympic medal every Sunday after church, and I always wondered what that medal was all about,” Leander recalled during an interview with Olympics.com.

“For some reason, that medal attracted me more than any other trophies my dad had. And as I grew a little older, I realised what it meant to represent 1.3 billion people from a country like India.

“He’s been my example my whole life. He’s been my example to be the best I can be,” Leander added.

The Paes household was one where sport was not just a profession, but a way of life.

Vece Paes battled Parkinson’s in his later years and passed away on August 14, 2025, in Kolkata, aged 80.

For Indian sport, Vece Paes’s legacy is twofold – the medals and memories he gave as an athlete, and the broader sporting culture he helped nurture through his leadership and medical expertise.

From the hockey fields of Munich to the rugby pitches of Kolkata and the tennis courts his son would later conquer, Vece Paes will forever be remembered as the renaissance man of Indian sport.

Hockey season in Juneau, Alaska, can get dark—literally—with just 6 to 7 hours of sunlight each day during the winter months. However, inside Treadwell Arena, located in the community of Douglas, the present and future of ice hockey shine brightly, as participation numbers continue to climb.

Adult hockey, in particular, has seen significant growth in the Juneau area in recent years. Opportunities now exist across A-B-C-D tiers, in addition to women’s hockey and groups for players aged 35+ and new participants—referred to as “Intro Skaters.”

According to Nate Ploof, manager of Treadwell Arena, adult hockey registration in Winter 2023 (January–April) totaled 294. During the same period in 2025, that number soared to 431—an increase of nearly 47% in just two years. Players trying adult hockey for the first time nearly doubled.

“This past year we had record numbers for sign-ups and had to cap our numbers for our adult and youth programs,” said Ploof. “We used to struggle to fill one team of 10 in the D (beginner) tier. The last two seasons in D tier we have had four teams of 14. It’s really been great to see.”

Growing The Game

Juneau is known as a somewhat transient community, heavily reliant on seasonal industries. With fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities to choose from, recruiting new hockey players—especially in the snowiest winter months—can be a challenge.

So what has Juneau done to successfully grow the game?

Ploof believes that, at least for adult hockey, it’s about getting active and engaging with the community.

“Doing the leg work,” he said. “And letting them know what kinds of opportunities are out there, no matter your skill level.”

After COVID, the tight-knit Juneau hockey community brainstormed ways to strengthen the adult program. Treadwell Arena partnered with the Juneau Adult Hockey Association (JAHA), and together, they worked with local downtown breweries to recruit over the summer months. They hosted two, two-hour Try Hockey events for adults, advertised at college fairs, and handed out T-shirts sponsored by local companies. Support from local businesses—including some run by current players—added to the grassroots energy.

Creating an equipment rental program has also had a major impact. It started with donated gear and has grown into a key driver of participation.

“We started out with maybe a dozen sets of equipment, and now we can outfit 42 skaters and six goalies,” Ploof said. “Players put down a deposit at the start of the season and get it back when they return their gear at the end of the season. It’s working really well.”

Treadwell Arena also offers an “Intro to Hockey” session every Wednesday for eight weeks. During those sessions, the ice is divided into thirds: goalies practice in one corner, new skaters work with volunteer coaches on basic skills in the middle, and more advanced players take the final third for puck-handling and shooting drills.

“Once you’re more comfortable skating and understanding the game, it’s much more enjoyable,” said Ploof. “Once they start getting the hang of it, they stick.”

Advice For Other Organizations

Even with all of those marketing efforts in place, Ploof believes the most impactful recruitment tool is word-of-mouth from current participants.

“You can offer Try Hockey events every day of the week, yet there will still be some people who are too afraid to get on the ice,” he said. “But if they have friends who already play encouraging them or skating with them, going through the drills, it makes a huge difference. It helps them get started, and then once they get on the ice and learn new skills, it builds confidence.”

His advice for other adult hockey programs trying to grow participation and build for the future?

Don’t overlook the beginner tiers.

“The lower levels aren’t as competitive, so sometimes there’s not as much effort put into them,” he said. “But if you can fill your lower level and their skills eventually get to the point where they can move up, it’s constantly feeding the system. That’s what you want.”

For anyone still on the fence about lacing up their skates—whether for the first time or the first time in a long time—Ploof encourages them to grab a friend and give it a try.

“There’s a skill level or tier available for everyone, regardless of what stage of life they’re in,” he said. “It’s a fun way to have camaraderie with your friends and your community, and it’s a great physical and mental thing to have in your life. Hockey is truly a great pastime.”

DULUTH — It doesn’t take much to get Owen Marsolek’s competitive juices flowing.

After cruising through the opening two innings of Wednesday’s Great Plains divisional championship game against Mankato, Marsolek found himself trailing in a count, 3-0, with two outs in the third frame.

Marsolek’s fourth pitch painted the corner for a strike, but Mankato’s Caleb Koskie had already tossed his bat toward the dugout after a perceived fourth ball.

“He tossed his bat because he thought it was ball four,” Marsolek said. “I knew it was over at that point.”

Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group

Marsolek delivered two subsequent strikes and retired Koskie, the son of Twins Hall of Famer Corey Koskie, swinging. It shifted the momentum and propelled Marsolek to six shutouts innings in which he struck out four, walked just two and surrendered only three hits.

Duluth manager Marcus Pointer said Marsolek’s effort was a driving force behind the Huskies’ 4-1 victory over Mankato, which secured their place in the Northwoods League championship game for the fifth time in franchise history and first since 2022.

“He’s been phenomenal this summer,” Pointer said. “We pushed some of his starts back — he hadn’t thrown in 10 or 11 days — because we knew he was going to go for game three of the playoffs. We had faith in him all year, and he showed up in a big-time spot.”

Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group

After walking the first batter of the game on just a handful of pitches, Marsolek settled into a rhythm that helped him cruise through Mankato’s potent order. Whether it was his fastball or a litany of offspeed pitches, Marsolek’s entire arsenal was on display.

“I was in a rhythm,” Marsolek said. “Throwing strike one was huge for me tonight — working ahead of hitters and not getting behind in counts. Just trusting my stuff and that my pitches were going to get outs, that was the big thing.”

Marsolek has been one of Duluth’s most consistent pitchers this season, despite being a fresh high school graduate competing against Northwoods League players who play for elite Division I programs all over the country.

Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group

From the moment he stepped on the turf at Wade Stadium for the first time earlier this summer, the entire locker room and coaching staff knew he belonged — regardless of his age or experience in the league.

“He’s confident and competitive, but the biggest thing is his mindset,” Pointer said. “He’s a competitive dog and the guys rally behind him. He’s the young guy on the team, but he gets everybody behind him because he belongs out here, and he acts like it.”

Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group

Marsolek handled business defensively while Reagan Reeder sparked Duluth’s offense Wednesday evening. The first baseman finished 3-for-4 at the plate and scored three runs against Mankato.

Reeder singled in the second inning and was driven in two batters later by Kingsley Guthrie, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Reeder reached on a double to right field. He later scored on a Jake Downing single to make it a 2-0 lead for Duluth.

“I saw the ball really well tonight and just tried to do anything I could to help the team,” Reeder said. “This place can get really, really loud, and it was tonight. It was cool to see that many people out here watching us.”

Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group

Reeder’s excellence in a Great Plains divisional championship game was a continuation of a summer of dominance. Pointer said Reeder has been a versatile bat and position player for the Huskies this year, which has been pivotal in sparking a playoff run.

“He played here last year and didn’t have the summer he wanted,” Pointer said. “He wanted to go on a revenge tour this year, and he has. He’s batting around .300, plays multiple positions and has delivered in big spots like tonight. We’re confident in him.”

The Duluth Huskies will host the Green Bay Rockers on Thursday in a contest that will decide the Northwoods League champion. The Huskies have made the title game four times previously, but have never won.

Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group

First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. at Wade Stadium, and the Huskies are hoping Duluth shows up and creates a raucous environment.

“We play better when there is a knock or a run scored and the stadium is going wild,” Pointer said. “We played well behind a great crowd tonight. It’s great to see our fans are still with us and I hope it’s a rocking environment tomorrow night.”

Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group

Reagan Hoverman joined the Duluth News Tribune as a sports reporter in July 2023 after spending the better part of two years covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports at the Pierce County Journal in Ellsworth, Wis. Before that, he was a news and sports reporter at the Inter-County Leader in Frederic, Wis.

Just over a year ago, ground was broken on an all-purpose arena that would serve as the new home of the Division I men’s and women’s hockey programs.

A mere 13 months later, the M&T Bank Center at Mohawk Harbor was officially unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours Thursday morning.

A gathering of state, county and local officials and dignitaries, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Union President Elizabeth Kiss, celebrated the milestone.

“President Kiss, this is a big day for you and the extraordinary men’s and women’s hockey teams,” said Hochul. “Hopefully we will be sending off Olympians and professionals from this very location.”

Kiss took over as president July 1. She credited her predecessor, David Harris, for his key role in making the new arena a reality.

“This gorgeous event center is really a game changer for Union College,” said Kiss. “This is going to take us to a whole new level in attracting even more top-notch student-athletes, as well as fans and coaches. The arena will add to the renaissance and vibrancy of Schenectady, and help bring the community together.”

The $55 million project features a 2,200-seat ice hockey rink with capacity expanding to 3,600 for other sporting events, trade shows, special events and conventions.

The nearly 100,000-square-foot arena will be located steps from College Park Hall, providing easy access from campus. It is also near two hotels, restaurants and other retail establishments, making it more inviting for fans and visiting teams.

Among the highlights:

• Seven luxury suites and a large capacity hospitality suite
• Two full-service concession stands featuring a menu by Victory Concessions, which is owned by the Mallozi family, which also operates Johnny’s Restaurant and Villa Italia in downtown Schenectady
• An elegant bar overlooking the Mohawk River
• Parking on-site and ancillary 700-space lot within walking distance

The women’s hockey will debut at the center on September 26 against Franklin Pierce, while the men’s team will play their first game on October 4 against Army/West Point. Tickets are available at unionathletics.com.

The first public event will feature a performance by country singer Lee Brice on September 6, with special guest David J.

Plans for the new venue were first announced in spring 2022.

The College has negotiated a long-term lease with the developer, Maxon Alco Holdings, LLC, an affiliated company of the Galesi Group, to be the primary tenant for the arena. The College will contribute $20 million over 25 years to host the hockey programs.

The new arena is a major upgrade for the College’s hockey teams, which had played their games in the 2,051-seat Frank L. Messa Rink at Achilles Center. From the time it hosted its first game Dec. 5, 1975, against the University of Ottawa, the classic hockey barn has provided one of the greatest atmospheres in college hockey.

But after decades of use, Messa Rink was in need of significant upgrades to remain competitive with other Division I facilities in ECAC hockey, to enhance the fan experience and address its mechanical infrastructure.

The College weighed a number of options, including building a new rink of its own or repairing and renovating Messa. College officials ultimately decided the best option was to enter into a public-private partnership to lease space at the new arena, in part because expenses are shared with other parties.

To support the project, State Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara helped secure $10 million from the state; the Schenectady County Legislature contributed $5 million, the Schenectady City Council $2.5 million and trustee Neil Golub $1 million.

Both hockey programs began moving into their new space this week. The facility will provide upgraded, private locker rooms for both teams as well as dedicated strength and conditioning and athletic training spaces.

The rink comes at a time when the NCAA recently allowed both Union hockey teams to offer athletic scholarships for the first time. The shifting dynamics in college sports, particularly with the transfer portal, has upended the competitive landscape. Without the ability to offer scholarships, both hockey teams were at a distinct recruiting disadvantage.

Now, scholarships and a new rink will greatly enhance the College’s ability to compete at the highest level in men’s and women’s hockey to attract exceptional student-athletes.

Also, shifting the hockey programs from Messa will free up valuable space in the Achilles Center for other athletic uses. Messa is being converted into an indoor turf facility.

The M&T Bank Center is part of Schenectady’s ongoing revitalization efforts, joining the $650 million Mohawk Harbor development that includes an amphitheater, apartments, hotels and more.

“One of the reasons my husband, Jeff, and I got so excited about this opportunity to join Union College and be a part of this Schenectady community is because of the amazing energy around town and gown,” Kiss said. “And the willingness to punch above our weight.”

As double Olympic bronze medalist and four-time U.S. champion, Stephen Nedoroscik prepared to return to competition at the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana, he reflected on a storybook ending to 2024 and a relatively late start to his return to competition in 2025.

By Sarah Firth/USAG Creator Program

As double Olympic bronze medalist and four-time U.S. champion, Stephen Nedoroscik prepared to return to competition at the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana, he reflected on a storybook ending to 2024 and a relatively late start to his return to competition in 2025. Through it all, he has his eyes set on the horizon of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Clinching the team bronze and then doubling back to win pommel horse bronze in Paris was just the start of Nedoroscik’s rocket boost into the world of mainstream celebrity. He returned from Paris to become the first male gymnast to compete on Dancing with the Stars, appearing in Season 33 with partner Rylee Arnold and making it to the season finale, where the duo placed fourth. He also co-hosted the Dancing with the Stars nationwide tour, which kept him off the pommel horse until the spring. In April, he resumed training at EVO Gymnastics in Sarasota, Florida.

“I’ve always told myself, ‘I want to be done with the sport when my body is done with the sport,’ and I’m still getting better,” said Nedoroscik. “I feel like I’d be doing myself a dishonor to not see how far I could go.”

At the Championships in New Orleans, he dipped his toes back into competition with nothing but positive support from his fans. “Being able to hear people cheer and root me on … this is what you do this for,” Nedoroscik said after the first day of competition. “Seeing these (kids) look up to me, doing a horse routine for them and hearing them cheer. It’s seriously amazing seeing how the community is backing not only me but the rest of the guys here. I’m more than happy to take pictures and sign (autographs) with them.”

After placing fifth in New Orleans, Nedoroscik now returns to the gym to double down on getting back to the gymnastics that has been the center of his daily life and goal-setting, with his focus firmly on three years in the future.

“I’m going to continue going,” he said. “L.A. [2028 Olympics] would be amazing, so I want to shoot for that.”

Until he hit the cultural big-time, the single-event specialist had to make ends meet through a combination of support from USA Gymnastics’ athlete tier funding, the USA Gymnastics Foundation, and his club, EVO Gymnastics. Unlike many gymnasts, Nedoroscik didn’t have a full scholarship while competing in college and graduated with a significant amount of student loan debt. Earning a salary to train and compete after college is what kept him in gymnastics—and ultimately made it possible for him to still be in the sport when the 2024 Olympics came around.

The Massachusetts native moved from Penn State to Florida to train with EVO, but living and training in Florida as a post-collegian does come with its challenges for Nedoroscik, even with his finances now on more solid footing. Due to vision issues with depth perception and bright headlights, Nedoroscik does not currently hold a driver’s license and is unsure whether he will be eligible to obtain one in the future. Nedoroscik lives a 30-minute drive from the gym and figuring out daily transportation to and from training is still an ongoing challenge with the lack of public transport options in the city.

“As of recently I’ve been Uber-ing [each day], which is not the best long-term solution,” he laughed.

Outside of the gym, Nedoroscik is internationally known for his Rubik’s Cube prowess and is also a keen chess player – most recently competing in a celebrity chess competition hosted by chess.com called PogChamps 6 in late April to early May. Nedoroscik made it to the semifinals of the championship bracket, winning an $8,000 cash prize, before being eliminated by Premier League athlete Ebere Eze, the competition’s eventual champion. His lifetime highest rating on chess.com peaked near 1300 and currently stands at approximately 1150 .

“At times, I had really cool moves that really impressed the judge or the actual chess grandmasters that were commentating [the competition], which I was really proud of,” said Nedoroscik .

Back in the gym, he spoke about an unusual strategy he uses to maintain his strength while training: a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream before bed every night.

“I’ve always been a snacker throughout my life, and it’s how I grew up. But, when I got to college, a lot of people were like, ‘Hey, dude, you should like, eat healthier’… So, I ate healthier and lost like 15 pounds,” said Nedoroscik. “I quickly realized maybe having some sort of a calorie boost throughout my day is a good thing, and for me over the years, I just found that a nice bowl of ice cream at night is enough to keep me maintaining my weight.”

It seems the simple solution worked. In addition to his Olympic success, Nedoroscik was named the USA Gymnastics Athlete of the Year at the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships. With yet another competition under his belt, Nedoroscik stays focused on 2028.