Kings' Caron Butler believes jail time as teen ultimately saved his life
Caron Butler's road to the NBA growing up in Racine, Wis. was marred by bad decision-making and unruly behavior - including dealing drugs - leading to him being put behind bars.
In a piece for the Player's Tribune, the Sacramento Kings veteran detailed his experiences as a teenaged drug dealer, and how one fateful day at high school began the process of turning his life around:
By the time I was 11 years old, I was already selling cocaine on the south side of Racine. I had been arrested over a dozen times by the time I went to high school, but things came to a head when I was 15. I came to Racine Park high school with a .32-caliber pistol and let an older friend of mine use my locker to stash cocaine. Members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found both the gun and cocaine in my locker. As I said, the gun was mine but the cocaine was not. However, the code of the streets led me to keep quiet and accept that charge as well.
Butler served time at an adult facility before moving to the Ethan Allen School for Boys - a home to those who committed "robbery, rape, and murder," as Butler describes. Placed in solitary confinement, Butler thought about his mother, Mattie Paden, and all the support she gave him.
"I wanted to make her proud," Butler wrote. "I wanted her to be able to say, 'That’s my son,' with a smile on her face rather than tears streaming down her cheeks. I spent many hours alone, writing her letters about my desire to make necessary changes in my life.
"Some people might argue that jail turns people into better criminals," Butler added. "You can learn schemes and tricks on how to beat the system from fellow inmates. However, my experience was different. Being away from my family and losing my freedom influenced me to be a better human being. Without that time of desperation, I never really could’ve made the change that would save my life. It led to me becoming closer with God."
Released after nine months, Butler elected to keep his distance from those who led him astray in the first place. He got a job at Burger King, making an honest wage after cashing in on the drug game.
Now entering his 14th NBA season, Butler is a prime example that redemption is always possible. He learned from his mistakes, and now teaches at-risk youth about his experiences so they don't go down a similar path.
"Younger generations need to see a real, tangible example of making it," Butler wrote. "Maybe I went through all of this to serve them."