Posted on: Wednesday, February 27, 2002

EDITORIAL
A.C.'s gift to UH was no slam dunk

Now that's class.

Professional basketball player Anthony Carter has endowed a $100,000 scholarship program for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball program.

Perhaps, if you're cynical, you'll point out that it's not a great sacrifice for Carter, since he recently signed a three-year contract with the Miami Heat for $12 million.

But he didn't have to donate a dime to UH.

What's impressive is that this young man recognizes and acknowledges the role of his alma mater in his success today.

What Carter was expressing with his endowment was a sentiment that all too often seems to be disappearing: gratitude.

This is especially apropos of that exclusive class of suddenly rich professional athletes. Many of them would argue, with some justification, that they contributed more to their college program than they got from it. Certainly Carter helped bring the UH basketball program a respectability it hadn't enjoyed in a very long time.

So not only has Carter made new opportunities available to budding basketball stars to play — and to become educated — at the college level. He's also put a little distance between himself and some of the men he plays ball with.

Gratitude is an action word. Don't tell people you're grateful, Carter has realized; show them.

Well done, A.C.