When asked if college athletes should get paid, ex-NBA star & current Sacramento mayor, Kevin Johnson didn't hesitate. "Absolutely," he said.
Kevin Johnson, mayor of Sacramento and a former three-time NBA All-Star, said he wants to use his position to help drive the conversation regarding pay for student-athletes. When asked if they should be paid, he told host Chuck Todd on Monday’s The Daily Rundown, “Absolutely.”
His remarks come amid a growing national outcry over rules that prevent college athletes from getting compensation, while allowing colleges and the NCAA to make millions.
“Its a very complicated issue,” said Mayor Johnson who was a guard for the Phoenix Suns and a standout at the University of California, Berkeley. “But its time we get down to the nitty-gritty and this is a topic that mayors will engage in.”
Johnson didn’t elaborate on what role mayors might take, but he may be uniquely positioned to use his experience as a player and a lawmaker to get something done.
“As a student-athlete, I know the advantage of having this discussion (and) now’s the time to have it,” said the mayor.
The mayor appeared on The Daily Rundown as part of MSNBC’s “Education Nation Week. Johnson is participating in the Mayors for Educational Excellence Tour, kicking off Oct. 16 in Denver, working to address teacher-student ratios, increasing reading comprehension and improving major city schools.